Conclusions: Survival of patients on short daily
hemodialysis was 2–3
times better than that of matched
three times weekly hemodialysis patients reported
by the USRDS.
Conclusion: After 7.3 years of treatment and follow-up,
a combination pill of folic acid, vitamin B6, and
vitamin B12 did not reduce a combined end point
of total cardiovascular events among high-risk women,
despite significant homocysteine lowering.
The article refers to a study titled, "An Empiric
Estimate of the Value of Life: Updating the Renal
Dialysis Cost-Effectiveness Standard." The
study shows that the average cost of a dialysis
patient's quality-adjusted year of life (QALY) is
$129,090, higher than prior studies have shown.
Editor's note: Dialysis patients whose treatment
costs exceed $240,000 per QALY fall in the top 10%.
The study points out that 50% of the Medicare's
ESRD costs are used to treat the "sickest"
10% of dialysis patients.
The question is if and/or when this kind of cost
data will be used to determine a patient's access
to dialysis treatments. The study will appear in
an upcoming issue of Value in Health.
The Outpatient Maintenance
Dialysis - End-Stage Renal Disease Fact Sheet This fact sheet provides general
information about outpatient maintenance dialysis for
End-Stage Renal Disease, the composite payment rate system,
and separately billable items and services, is now available
in print format from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services Medicare Learning Network. To place your order,
visit http://www.cms.hhs.gov/mlngeninfo/,
scroll down to “Related Links Inside CMS”
and select “MLN Product Ordering Page.” It
is found near the bottom of the "Medicare Payment
Policy" section.
