Variability of Prices Paid for Hemodialysis by Employer-Sponsored Insurance in the US, 2012-2019

with Paul Eliason, Ryan McDevitt, Jimmy Roberts, and Heather Wong
Published in JAMA Network Open, 2022
Open access article available here. Code used in this analysis available here. BibTeX citation available here.

Summary: Recent proposals have sought to limit the amount dialysis clinics charge private payers, but little is known about the prices that private insurers actually pay for dialysis. In this study, we provide novel evidence on dialysis prices based on claims data for a large national sample of private employer-sponsored insurance carriers, finding that the median price paid by private insurers for outpatient hemodialysis services is $1,476, more than six times the base rate paid by Medicare. Furthermore, we find substantial, statistically significant differences in price across states.

This research has received media coverage in Open Minds, Renal & Urology News, and Fierce Healthcare.