General Research News
2019
On July 10, 2019, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order to launch Advancing American Kidney Health, a comprehensive initiative to improve the lives of Americans suffering from kidney disease, expand treatment options for patients, and reduce healthcare costs. The detailed plan directs the Department of Health and Human Services to deliver on the goals of:
- Reducing the number of Americans developing end-stage renal disease (ESRD) by 25% by 2030.
- Broadening access to affordable options for patients with ESRD, including adjusting the Medicare structure to encourage more in-home dialysis treatments, which are less expensive than center-based treatments.
- Increasing kidney donations and reducing wait times for transplants.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects an estimated 37 million adults in the United States, and more than 726,000 have ESRD. Nearly 100,000 Americans are on the waiting list to receive a kidney transplant, and kidney disease is the ninth-leading cause of death in the United States.
Approximately 20 percent of dollars in traditional Medicare—$114 billion a year—are spent on Americans with kidney disease. Of the more than 100,000 Americans who begin dialysis to treat ESRD each year, one in five will die within a year.
More information about the Advancing American Kidney Health initiative may be found on the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services website.