Case Study: Handling the $5,993 Hemodialysis Treatment

Abstract

Thanks to Medicare and private insurance, citizens and residents in the United States seldom have to worry about going bankrupt when they need renal replacement therapy. This case, however, describes what could have been an exception. When an uninsured, low-income patient with significant assets landed at an outpatient dialysis center, he was charged thousands of dollars per treatment. The nephrology social worker struggled with the dilemma of how best to advise the patient regarding his financial options. His advocacy interventions resulted in the patient receiving a substantially reduced rate. This article discusses this case and the national system of funding dialysis, which consistently puts financial pressure on providers and the uninsured.