End stage renal disease and Medicare.

Since 1972 all persons with end stage renal disease (ESRD) eligible for Social Security are entitled to all Medicare benefits, regardless of age. ESRD patients need continual renal replacement therapy to survive. Although only 1 percent of Medicare beneficiaries suffer from ESRD, they account for roughly 9 percent of all Medicare payments. ESRD patients tend to be economically disadvantaged and belong to ethnic and racial minorities. CMS has...