The trip to dialysis was the hardest part. Now it is the easiest.

The situation

James is 67, a retired MARTA bus driver, lives alone in southwest Atlanta. He has stage 5 chronic kidney disease and started dialysis three days a week in February. The dialysis center is a forty-minute drive that James cannot make himself. He was paying around thirty-five dollars each way for rideshare because his Medicare Advantage plan kept denying the transport benefit. After two months of out-of-pocket transport, he started skipping sessions. He told his nephrologist he was fine. He was not fine.

How Pinnie stepped in

James reached Pinnie through a flyer at the dialysis center. His advocate Anthony called the next morning. The first thing Anthony did was move James back to Traditional Medicare during the open enrollment window and confirm eligibility for the non-emergency medical transport benefit. He filed the appeal on the previously denied claims. He scheduled the nephrology appointments to land on non-dialysis days so the round trips stacked logically. He arranged for labs to be drawn at the dialysis center when possible. He walked James through fistula care and helped him understand the dietary restrictions. When James mentioned his fistula site felt off, Anthony got him a vascular access specialist appointment within two business days.

Where things are now

James has not missed a dialysis session in seven months. The transport benefit covers the round trip with a zero-dollar copay. He has lost eight pounds of fluid weight. He sleeps better. His daughter calls Anthony directly when she needs an update, and Anthony loops her in without James having to repeat himself.