| Theme | Pros and Cons of DRG/PPS in Dialysis Therapy | |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Are dialysis fees becoming more expensive ? -- considerations related to cost of support for patients and public long term care insurance | |
| Publish Date | 2004/12 | |
| Author | Kazuo Masuda | Masuda Clinic |
| Author | Masahiro Kawagoe | Japan Medical Association Research Institute |
| [ Summary ] | Dialysis fees have been decreasing for the past 30 years. The cost has been reduced to one third of the original price. However, dialysis fees comprise 3.4% of total medical expenditures in Japan. For this reason, the number of aged patients with diabetic nephropathy has increased remarkably in recent years. Also, may aged patients have a great number of complications, such as general angiopathy, hypertension, hypercholesterinemia and walking disturbances. Therefore, they need a great amount of support with their daily lives when starting dialysis. At this moment, the public long-term insurance system works well for these patients and it is hoped it will continue to do so. |
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