The U.S. Renal Data System’s 2015 Annual Data Report shines a light on the huge economic toll of kidney disease, analyzing the prevalence, variety of treatments and burden of the illness. The researchers involved in this comprehensive study hope that it will help identify the best and most cost-effective ways to treat the disease.
Here are some important take-aways on Medicare spending from this report.
- In 2013, Medicare spent $50 billion on chronic kidney disease among people 65 and older, and $31 billion on those with kidney failure.
- In 2013, spending on prescriptions for Medicare Part D patients with chronic kidney disease was 46 percent higher than prescription spending for general Medicare patients—$3,675 per patient versus $2,509.
- Spending for prescriptions for Part D patients with kidney failure was $6,673 a year per patient, 2.6 times higher than for general Medicare patients.
- Spending for prescriptions for dialysis patients had the highest cost at $7,142 per person per year.
- Just over 69 percent of Medicare patients with chronic kidney disease were enrolled in Medicare Part D, as well as about 74 percent of patients with kidney failure.
Sources:
Medicare Spends Billions on Chronic Kidney Disease, Medical Xpress, March 29, 2016
U.S. Renal Data System 2015 Annual Data Report: Epidemiology of Kidney Disease in the United States, American Journal of Kidney Disease, March 2016