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Official CMS data
Costs explained

What dialysis can cost

These figures explain published payment benchmarks, uninsured estimates, and broad coverage context. They are not price quotes, bills, or personal cost calculations.

Medicare coverage context

20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the Part B deductible

The coinsurance patients with Original Medicare pay for dialysis services after the Part B deductible.

View sourceChecked

Dialysis costs without insurance

No official nationwide cash price is published in the reviewed sources. GoodRx and Mira provide separate publisher estimates; neither is an official rate, a facility quote, or a reader-specific amount.

Reality check: published rates and payments

These two figures are context, not a cash-price range. CMS publishes an official national base payment rate, while the JAMA study reports the mean amount private insurers paid using older study data.

Official Medicare rate

Official 2026 Medicare base rate

$281.71 per session

The official national Medicare base payment rate for 2026. It is not a patient bill or a facility cash price.

Source: CMS final-rule fact sheet, published and official GovInfo Federal Register mirror, published ; checked

Study average reported by JAMA

Private-insurer payment average reported by JAMA

$1,287 per session

The mean commercial-insurer payment in a peer-reviewed study using 2012–2019 data. It is not a cash price.

Source: JAMA Network Open, published ; checked Possibly outdated

Estimates by GoodRx

The GoodRx article attributes its underlying per-session figure to CostHelper. KidneyPass therefore presents these only as GoodRx estimates.

Estimate by GoodRx

GoodRx estimate — per session

$500 or more per session

GoodRx publisher estimate for dialysis without insurance.

Source: GoodRx Health, updated ; checked against an archived snapshot from Possibly outdated

Estimate by GoodRx

GoodRx estimate — per month

about $6,000 per month

GoodRx publisher estimate based on its example of three sessions per week.

Source: GoodRx Health, updated ; checked against an archived snapshot from Possibly outdated

Estimate by GoodRx

GoodRx estimate — per year

about $72,000 per year

GoodRx publisher estimate based on its example of three sessions per week.

Source: GoodRx Health, updated ; checked against an archived snapshot from Possibly outdated

Estimates by Mira

Mira is a small health-plan company. Its figures appear here only as a second, separately labeled publisher estimate.

Estimate by Mira

Mira estimate — per treatment

$550–$650 per in-center hemodialysis treatment

Mira publisher estimate, shown separately from GoodRx and from official rates.

Source: Mira Health, updated ; checked Possibly outdated

Estimate by Mira

Mira estimate — per year

$90,000–$100,000 per year

Mira publisher estimate, shown separately from GoodRx and from official rates.

Source: Mira Health, updated ; checked Possibly outdated

Coverage and financial-assistance routes

These routes are listed as factual navigation only. KidneyPass does not recommend one, determine eligibility, or estimate a personal amount.

Medicare ESRD eligibility

Medicare has eligibility and coverage rules for people with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Eligibility is determined under the program rules.

Medicaid

Medicaid eligibility and dialysis coverage are governed by the applicable state program rules.

Facility financial assistance

A dialysis center may have a financial-assistance process. Availability and terms depend on that facility; KidneyPass does not claim assistance is available at a specific center.

Questions about dialysis costs and coverage

These answers explain published benchmarks and coverage routes in general terms. They do not determine a personal bill, eligibility, or coverage.

How much does a dialysis session cost in the US?

There is no single U.S. session price. The official 2026 Medicare base payment rate is $281.71 per session (CMS final-rule fact sheet, published and official GovInfo Federal Register mirror, published ; checked ). A JAMA Network Open study of amounts paid by private insurers from 2012 through 2019 reported a mean of $1,287 per session (JAMA Network Open, published ; checked ; possibly outdated). These are payment benchmarks, not cash prices or a quote from a dialysis center.

How much does a 4 hour dialysis session cost?

The reviewed sources do not publish a separate price for a four-hour session. For uninsured care, GoodRx estimates $500 or more per session (GoodRx Health, updated ; checked against an archived snapshot from ; possibly outdated). Mira separately estimates $550–$650 per in-center hemodialysis treatment (Mira Health, updated ; checked ; possibly outdated). These are publisher estimates, not official rates or facility-specific prices.

Does insurance cover dialysis?

Dialysis may be covered by private insurance, Medicare for people who meet eligibility rules for end-stage renal disease (ESRD), or Medicaid under applicable state rules. Coverage and patient responsibility vary. This page does not determine a reader’s coverage or personal bill.

Is dialysis covered 100% by Medicare?

Not automatically. Medicare coverage does not mean every charge is paid in full; deductibles, coinsurance, and coverage rules may affect patient responsibility. The Medicare base payment rate is not a patient’s personal bill.

What if I can't afford dialysis?

This page identifies three possible coverage or assistance routes: Medicare eligibility for people with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), Medicaid, and a dialysis center’s financial-assistance process. Eligibility, coverage, and assistance depend on program or facility rules. These routes are listed without choosing one or estimating an individual amount.

Are dialysis centers free?

Dialysis centers are not presented as universally free. A center may bill an insurer or a patient, and this page does not publish facility-specific prices. Coverage or financial assistance depends on the applicable program and facility rules.

Where can I get free dialysis?

The reviewed sources do not identify a universally free dialysis option. Medicare eligibility for people with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), Medicaid, and facility financial assistance are coverage or assistance routes, each with its own rules. This page does not claim that any facility is free.

Browse dialysis centers by state

Every state, district, and territory with an active facility record in the current CMS snapshot. The number beside each link is its count of active Medicare-certified centers.

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