Reimbursement for Home Dialysis

During 2022 NKF worked with UK Kidney Association’s Kidney Patient Safety Committee to update guidance on reimbursement for people who dialyse at home, in addition a reimbursement calculator which was already being used in Wales was adapted for use: https://www.kidney.org.uk/news/new-reimbursement-toolkit-for-home-dialysis

The NKF was alerted by patients that they were not getting reimbursed for their utility costs for doing home dialysis. The service specification regarding home dialysis: https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2015/01/a06serv-spec-haemodialysis-renl-failr-home.pdf specifies the following - ‘Clear consistent national guidelines for the capital costs of home adaption, remote tele-monitoring and on-going funding for electricity, water and telephone costs due to dialysis treatment need to be put in place to ensure equity’.

Towards the end of 2022, NKF conducted a survey to find out how home haemodialysis patients were being reimbursed for their treatment. Here are the findings:

Do you get reimbursed for doing haemodialysis at home? No 24% Yes 76%

Of the 100 respondents, 76% get reimbursed for doing haemodialysis at home.