Essay on "Economics of End Stage Renal Disease"

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[EXCERPT] . . . .

Economics of End-Stage Renal Disease

Health Care Economics

There is a variety of reimbursement mechanisms that exist within the case study entitled the Economics of End Stage Renal Disease. One of the most eminent of these is government remuneration policies, which are virtually unchanged since the early part of the 1970s. The government has assisted in the reimbursement of individuals over the age of 65 who need help with ESRD. In order to do so, and in order to cope with costs that have steadily increased during the last 40 years, it has engaged in a practice known as cost shifting, which is defined as eroding "the payment structure through inflation and continuously revising and delaying the ESRD coverage for patients not previously of Medicare Age" (242). Cost shifting enables the federal government to decrease its expenditures for patients. It also places greater pecuniary responsibilities on commercial health care providers.

The other principal mechanism for reimbursement for services dedicated to End Stage Renal Disease comes from Medicare and Medicaid, the former of which opted to cover people not of traditional Medicare age -- meaning those under the age of 65 -- for treatment related to ERSD. Due to a host of factors that are helping to prolong life and improve the efficaciousness of services for this particular disease, the costs incurred by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) have significantly increased since the decision was made in 1972 to cover people under the age of 65 for this condition. Finally, the third major reimbursement mechanism presented in this case study is that offered by commercial health care providers.Continue scrolling to

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