Medicare Provides Information on Dialysis Facilities

If you or someone you love needs regular dialysis, uniform information about available dialysis facilities is invaluable.  It’s important to be able to compare your options and to be aware of the quality of care at the facilities you consider. 

Fortunately, Medicare provides an easy, effective way for you to compare dialysis facilities through their website, with their “Dialysis Facility Compare Tool”.  This tool allows users to access valuable information about specific dialysis treatment facilities.  The tool provides basic information about the facility name, address, and telephone number.  It also offers the date Medicare certified the facility, shifts beginning at or after 5:00pm, the number of hemodialysis treatment stations, the types of dialysis available, the organization that owns/manages the facility, and whether or not the facility is non-profit.  In terms of quality measures, you can find out the percentage of patients at specific facilities who got adequate hemodialysis, who were treated for anemia, and whose anemia was adequately managed. You can find out patient survival information and, ultimately, how well the facility treats its patients.

The compare tool will allow you to search for dialysis facilities by name, city, ZIP code, state, or country.  Once you select some facilities you would like to compare, you will have access to the dialysis facility services and quality information.  You will also be given contact information for local ESRD Networks and State Survey Agencies, which you can use to get more information about dialysis. 

The compare tool will also provide additional resources, such as informational pamphlets, answers to frequently asked questions, definitions of relevant terms, information on complaint procedures, information on patient rights, a patient checklist, and links to other related websites.

You can access Medicare’s Dialysis Facility Compare tool at www.medicare.gov.