Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive and irreversible condition that affects over 37 million adults in the United States. This white paper presents an analysis of administrative claims data to characterize patients diagnosed with CKD at different stages, and models the potential impact in costs and outcomes of modest delays in the disease’s progression. Our examination found that early CKD is understated in claims data. The study suggests that earlier detection and intervention for patients with CKD could significantly reduce dialysis utilization and dependency, demand for kidney transplants, and healthcare costs for Medicare fee-for-service and commercial plans.
This report was commissioned by Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.