What costs are incurred in NHHD?
We have extensive cost data on our program and are in the process of finalizing a detailed costing document for the dialysis literature and for our state government. In Victoria, Australia, the set up costs for home HD are borne by the renal unit and not by the patient. This includes the installation costs at home. All dialysis is funded by direct government reimbursement of costs to the treating renal unit and the consumables, machines and other equipment are also provided free of charge. The major ‘out-of-pocket’ expense for our patients is: (1) the government surcharge on drugs up to the Commonwealth Governments patient contribution limit (the safety-net’ @ A$600/year) and (2) the ‘excess’ expenses of water and power. In Victoria, there is a reimbursement scheme for water bills specifically negotiated with the state government (~$250/yr) but I do not know if similar arrangements exist elsewhere. You should check this with your managing renal unit. We also considered installing a ‘wi
