[Cost of dialysis in France]

According to latest data published by the French health authority (HAS), nearly 74,000 French patients in end-stage chronic renal disease are following a replacement therapy. They were 61,000 in 2007, amounting to a cost of 4 billions euros for public health insurance. The cost varies depending on the age and comorbidities. Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis is the cheapest mode of treatment, while the heavy haemodialysis centres costs are close to twice as expensive. But these two different treatments are - a priori - not applied for the same patients in terms of level of severity of disease. Moreover, associated costs, medical treatment, transportation, etc. are to be taken into account, as well as losses of income for patients facing major job difficulties. As recommended by HAS experts, it will be important to regularly conduct surveys allowing a regular economic assessment of the various modes of financial healthcare for end-stage chronic renal disease.