Fighting chronic kidney disease is expensive and can cause both direct and indirect issues. Access to affordable prescription medication can reduce the total cost of managing the illness.
In most developing countries, patients with chronic kidney disease fund their own treatment. Evidence of this is present in the 2020 study on the costs of managing chronic kidney disease in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The study found that direct medical costs of managing chronic kidney disease account for 86% of the total cost. This is nearly three times higher than the minimum wage in Cameroon.
Several underlying conditions can impair the functions of the kidneys, making it difficult to put a dollar amount on treating kidney disease. These conditions include high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes. Chronic kidney disease further leads to damage to other organs in the body.
The direct costs for managing kidney disease are the medical procedures that require payment, such as medication, dialysis, dietary changes, hospital visits, and surgery.
The medical procedures necessary to manage chronic kidney diseases are expensive, and treatment costs can be a major burden to the patient, their family, and the health care system. It is exceptionally costly when the patient is paying out-of-pocket.
Continue reading to learn about the direct and indirect costs of managing chronic kidney disease.
Direct costs of managing chronic kidney disease
Did you know that about 10% of the world’s population has chronic kidney disease?
Managing chronic disease requires taking medication to prevent further kidney damage and maintaining a healthy diet. Chronic diseases often cause other underlying health conditions that create further organ damage.
The direct costs for managing chronic kidney disease include:
Dialysis
When your kidneys are unable to function well, your doctor recommends kidney dialysis. The treatment maintains a semblance of your body’s normal state by removing the extra salts, water, and waste your kidneys are no longer able to remove on their own. Dialysis also helps to control blood pressure and maintains optimum levels of chemicals in your body.
When evaluating the cost of dialysis, underlying issues such as hypertension, diabetes, and anemia further add to the treatment of kidney disease. And of course, without health care insurance the amount a patient pays out-of-pocket increases.
Due to the expense, some patients either do not start dialysis or end up discontinuing it. Additionally, patients who regularly undergo dialysis have a greater risk of getting an infection, thereby increasing treatment costs.
Dietary changes
When kidneys fail, they are unable to remove excess proteins from the body. Switching to a low-protein or no-protein diet helps to manage the symptoms of chronic kidney disease.
When you visit a hospital for a regular check-up on your kidneys, you may ask to see a dietician, who can recommend some alternative food options as well as the amount of food you consume daily. They may also suggest other ways to eat a healthy diet while reducing your protein intake.
Medications
Taking prescribed medications helps reduce the severity of kidney disease symptoms. Some medications available for you to use are:
- Drugs to reduce inflammation and swelling.When the kidneys fail, water is not properly removed from the body. This can lead to water retention, an uncomfortable symptom that is treated with diuretics, which help maintain the level of water in the body and also regulate blood pressure.
- Drugs to treat high blood pressure.When kidneys are unable to function properly, waste is not removed from the body as quickly as it should be. The presence of these waste products can cause high blood pressure, and your doctor may prescribe medication to lower blood pressure and maintain kidney function.
Unfortunately, these and other medications used to treat kidney disease often come with a high price tag, which means many of those who need them aren’t able to afford their meds.
Indirect costs of managing chronic kidney disease
In addition to the direct costs listed above, there are also indirect costs to consider when managing kidney disease.
Wage losses due to the inability to work
When the kidneys begin to fail, the patient will be unable to carry out normal daily activities. This includes their work, and when they can’t work, their ability to pay for their treatment is diminished considerably.
Additionally, if they lose their job during treatment they’ll no longer have access to the benefits that were helping to pay for it.
Cost of traveling for treatment and outpatient visits
When patients have to travel long distances to get treatment, that costs them money they don’t have. And if they don’t have health care insurance, continuing kidney treatment could become even more difficult.
Emotional damage caused by constant treatment and medication
The mental health aspect of dealing with chronic disease for the patient and their relatives can be devastating. The emotional toll it takes on everyone involved can’t be quantified, as everyone involved is figuring out how to best care for the patient, pay for the treatment, and take care of the day-to-day tasks that, though necessary, are now cumbersome.
Reduce the cost of managing chronic kidney disease
Access to affordable prescription drugs helps fight kidney disease and reduce the severity of other underlying symptoms. It also helps to save lives by providing accessible medication to vulnerable populations.
At ModRN Health, we help those in various stages of chronic disease get access to the medications they require at discounted rates. To get access to our discount rates, sign up with us. You will also get rewards for filling your prescription, making referrals, and purchasing drugs. Visit ModRN Health to learn more.
