With less Medicare funding for dialysis diabetes education is critical.

With less Medicare funding for dialysis diabetes education is critical.

Medicare funding per person for dialysis is at the same level as it was in 1983. This is one more reason to be vigilant about maintaining low blood glucose levels through daily monitoring and quartly testing of A1c levels.

"Combined with a growing elderly population more prone to kidney failure the
number of people on dialysis is expected to double to 800,000 by 2010, and reach 2.2 million by 2030 — and dialysis care could reach a tipping point if nothing is done.

Education is important because the leading causes of kidney failure are two preventable diseases diabetes and high blood pressure, said Vinay Kantamneni, medical director at the dialysis center. The typical dialysis patient is over 60 and on Medicare."

"Kantamneni said if
preventative treatment is started immediately on people already with
diabetes, life expectancy can be raised and dialysis delayed by several
years."