I Hate Dialysis Message Board

Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: Working while on Dialysis => Topic started by: PrimeTimer on December 19, 2018, 09:53:00 PM

Title: How Do Employers Lower Their Costs?
Post by: PrimeTimer on December 19, 2018, 09:53:00 PM

I'm reading about how employers can hire a "Renal Case Management" team/company to lower THEIR costs when employing someone on dialysis. Afterall, dialysis is verrry expensive and is MUCH needed (and big business). I just started reading this today so bare with me and excuse any uh, stupid questions....but how do they lower the costs that their employer insurance plan pays to dialysis providers? Does this mean they have a team that would negotiate directly with providers like Fresenius and Davita? And how would an employee even know if their employer is even trying to help themselves to lower the expenses? I mean, I don't think I've ever heard anyone at the office say "Hey, boss! You should hire a renal case management team since the dialysis I need is expensive and could bankrupt you! I don't want to be fired for costing you too much!"  And I wonder what costs get lowered...the cost of gauze? Dialysate? Tech or nurse wages? What??? Anyone know? 


Here's a link about a Renal Case Management Team

https://www.specialtycm.com/case_studies/taft-hartley-dialysis-case-study/


self-edited to add link. 

Title: Re: How Do Employers Lower Their Costs?
Post by: Michael Murphy on December 20, 2018, 01:07:09 AM

From my experience the savings come from two areas, first Dialysys pricing, no insurance $4500, private insurance  $1500, Medicare  $375.  Medicare is actually profitable but usually returns about a 10% profit.  When a company hires some to lower costs they push on the servicing company to lower prices.  In my wife’s company she was allowed to keep her private insurance after she retired even though she was 70.  Look at the 1500 price tag.  The company was shown that providing a enhanced Medicare package they in the long run would save money because the Medicare pricing is so much lower then the private insurance.
The second service is case management,  I belong to a huge doctor owned medical,practice.  Their records are integrated so when he looks at my records he sees all of them so my nephrologist sees what my cardiologist is doing and vice versa.  This reduces tests since if one orders it all of the doctors see the results.  While case management does not currently work that well they do coordinate you doctors care and this saves money.

Title: Re: How Do Employers Lower Their Costs?
Post by: PrimeTimer on December 20, 2018, 01:18:41 AM

Thanks for the education, Michael. I will pass this on to my husband. He might want to consider an enhanced Medicare plan if/when he finds a new job. We're afraid his next employer might want to dump him too when they find out how outrageous the cost of dialysis is.



self edited for typo error.