Medicare

Dialysis is expensive. I believe my insurance pays about $20,000 per month on my in-clinic hemodialysis treatment. Even when I was on peritoneal dialysis, my insurance was being charged ~$400 per day.

After 33 months, my work insurance will stop being the primary payer for dialysis or transplants. Medicare then takes over and my work insurance will pay the out-of-pocket expenses such as prescriptions and the 20% Medicare copay.

I’ve been calling the 800-number for Social Security to set up an in-office visit so I can apply for Medicare. When I finally spoke to someone, they said for ESRD patients, I need to file a form for federal disability. My closest SSA office is fully booked for both in-person and phone appointments so the phone rep left a message for them to call me back with a time. Hopefully someone cancels over the holidays so I can get the application filed. Everything just takes longer with the government.

More information on Medicare and ESRD if anyone is interested: https://www.medicare.gov/Pubs/pdf/10128-Medicare-Coverage-ESRD.pdf