The incidence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) has declined since the 2010s, but it is still the highest in the world, according to the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) (2020). In 2018, the number of ESRD patients in the USA reached 131,636 (USRDS, 2020). The prevalence of ESRD in Hawaii is 2,315.2 patients per million people (USRDS, 2020). African Americans and Hispanics are more vulnerable to the development of ESRD compared to white Americans. The African American population is 3.5 times more likely, and Latino Americans are 1.5 times more likely to have this disorder as compared to the white population (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases [NIH], 2016). Men are more likely to develop ESRD; for two females with ESRD, three males have this disorder (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019). The highest prevalence of ESRD is among people aged 75 and older (1584.2 per million), and among patients aged between 65 and 74, the prevalence reached 1298.6 per million in 2018 (USRDS, 2020).
Medicare fee-for-service spending for this disease beneficiaries reached almost $31 billion in 2013 (NIH, 2016). This amount accounted for slightly over 7% of the overall Medicare costs (NIH, 2016). Over 25% of Medicare enrollees in Hawaii are diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, and 25.4% of these people are older than 65 years old (Hawaii Health Matters, 2017). Being enrolled in the Medicare program is beneficial for ESRD patients due to the coverage of these plans. In many programs (including Medicare Advantage Plans), medication necessary for effective treatment is covered, which is a considerable advantage for people. In addition, many Medicare programs cover additional services related to ESRD, including but not confined to vision or hearing issues.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Chronic kidney disease in the United States, 2019. Web.
Hawaii Health Matters. (2017). Chronic kidney disease: Medicare population. Web.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (2016). Kidney disease statistics for the United States. Web.
United States Renal Data System. (2020). Annual report. Web.