FREE NEJM E-TOC    HOME   |   SUBSCRIBE   |   CURRENT ISSUE   |   PAST ISSUES   |   COLLECTIONS   |   Search Term  Advanced Search

Sign in | Get NEJM's E-Mail Table of Contents — Free | Subscribe

Previous Volume 299:386-392 August 24, 1978 Number 8 Next

	Add to Personal Archive Add to Citation Manager Notify a Friend E-mail When Cited PubMed Citation

Abstract

The soical and economic effects of end-stage renal disease are enormous. This case history of our experience with dialysis and transplantation details our life with these two modes of treatment. Despite the common notion that Medicare covers most of the expenses, the detailed records of our financial experience show that Medicare paid only 53 per cent of our total costs; the remainder came from a mixture of private and public sources. In seeking alternative financial support, we encountered many problems, including complex and constraining requirements for aid, invasion of privacy, high insurance and bank-interest rates and termination of employment. Even those in middle-income brackets find it difficult to maintain their independence under such circumstances. New legislation extending Medicare coverage of home dialysis and transplantation should help to alleviate these problems in the future.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Groome, P. A., Hutchinson, T. A., Tousignant, P. (1994). Content of a Decision Analysis for Treatment Choice in End-stage Renal Disease: Who Should Be consulted?. Med Decis Making 14: 91-97 [Abstract]  
• Delano, B. G., Feinroth, M. V., Feinroth, M., Friedman, E. A. (1981). Home and Medical Center Hemodialysis: Dollar Comparison and Payback Period. JAMA 246: 230-232 [Abstract]  
• ROBERTS, S. D., MAXWELL, D. R., GROSS, T. L. (1980). Cost-Effective Care of End-Stage Renal Disease: A Billion Dollar Question. ANN INTERN MED 92: 243-248 [Abstract]