Kidney disease education
Medicare covers up to 6 sessions of kidney disease education services if you have Stage 4 chronic kidney disease that usually requires dialysis or a kidney transplant. Medicare covers this if your doctor or other qualified health care provider refers you for the service, and you get the service from a doctor, certain qualified non-doctor providers, or certain rural providers.
Your costs in Original Medicare
After you meet the Part B deductible , you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount per session if you get the service from a doctor or other health care provider.
What it is
Kidney disease education:
- Teaches you how to take the best possible care of your kidneys
- Gives you information you need to make informed decisions about your care
You’ll learn about these topics:
- How to manage health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and anemia
- How your kidneys work
- What you should and shouldn’t eat
- How your medications work
- Your treatment options if your kidneys get worse:
- Kidney transplant
- Hemodialysis
- Peritoneal dialysis
- Access options for hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis
You can also ask about these topics:
- How you’ll feel
- How to maintain your kidney function
- Exercise
- What your test results mean
- Your family and social life
- Work and finances
- Your mental health
- Your right to choose not to get a kidney transplant on dialysis.