Medical costs of CKD in the Medicare population

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Health Economics
• Public Health

Background:

• Estimating medical costs across chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages is crucial for evaluating interventions.
• Understanding the economic burden of CKD is essential for healthcare policy and resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the annual Medicare costs attributable to stages 1-4 of chronic kidney disease (CKD).
• To provide data for assessing the economic benefits of interventions aimed at slowing CKD progression.

Main Methods:

• Combined laboratory data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
• Utilized Medicare claims data for expenditure analysis.
• Calculated per-person annual Medicare costs adjusted to 2010 dollars for CKD stages 1-4.

Main Results:

• Medicare costs for stage 1 CKD were not significantly different from zero.
• Per-person annual Medicare expenses were $1,700 for stage 2, $3,500 for stage 3, and $12,700 for stage 4 CKD.
• Medical costs attributable to CKD are substantial and increase with disease severity in Medicare beneficiaries.

Conclusions:

• Significant medical costs are associated with CKD among Medicare beneficiaries, even in early stages.
• Cost estimates support the assessment of economic benefits for interventions that slow CKD progression.
• The findings underscore the importance of managing and preventing CKD to mitigate healthcare expenditures.