The social contract and the treatment of permanent kidney failure
Article Abstract:
The US government may have to alter the social contract governing the provision of care to people with advanced kidney disease in an era of scarce health care resources. Medicare was adapted in 1972 to cover all disabled people under the age of 65, a benefit that was extended to all people with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) regardless of age. This would essentially cover most of the US population. The result has been a growing population of ESRD patients, which grew from 10,000 in 1973 to 200,000 in 1995. Medicare spent $6.1 billion on ESRD treatments in 1991, up from $3.1 billion in 1986. ESRD reimbursements account for 5% of the Medicare budget. Some researchers believe that 10% to 20% of all ESRD patients will not benefit from dialysis. Other countries restrict ESRD treatments but provide universal health care. Some studies have revealed lower mortality rates in ESRD patients in other countries.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 1996
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
End-stage renal disease therapy: an American success story
Article Abstract:
The US end-stage renal disease (ESRD) treatment program may be a model for a national health care system that serves all citizens. The ESRD program provides Medicare reimbursement for the treatment of advanced kidney failure. Many critics say the program is very expensive and that the death rate from ESRD is higher in the US than in Europe or Japan. The US has the highest proportion of treated patients. Other countries may exclude certain groups of patients, which could automatically raise survival rates. There is also evidence that many European countries are underreporting deaths from ESRD. In Japan, the rate of kidney transplantation is much lower than in the US. Thus, younger and healthier patients remain on dialysis, which could also boost survival rates. Dialysis treatment centers in the US appear to be equal to any in Europe or Japan.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 1996
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
Practical considerations in dialysis withdrawal: "to have that option is a blessing"
Article Abstract:
Guidelines for stopping dialysis in terminally ill patients are presented for doctors and the family members of patients who are on dialysis. More research is needed on the symptoms these patients will develop so they can be treated even when dialysis is withdrawn. Dialysis is most often used to treat kidney failure.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 2003
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
- Abstracts: Transvaginal ultrasonography and the assessment of luteal phase endometrium. Abnormalities detected on transvaginal ultrasonography in tamoxifen-treated postmenopausal breast cancer patients may represent endometrial cystic atrophy
- Abstracts: Cell-wall chemistry and architecture in relation to sources of dietary fibre. Gastrointestinal effects of sugarbeet fiber and wheat brain in healthy men
- Abstracts: Management training. More than the sum of its parts. Diabetes and its effect on wound healing and patient care
- Abstracts: Public health and aging: retention of natural teeth among older adults--United States, 2002. Public health and aging: trends in aging -- United States and worldwide
- Abstracts: Blood pressure control, proteinuria, and the progression of renal disease: the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study