The 1972 Amendments to the Social Security Act extended health insurance coverage
to people who have Chronic Renal Disease (CRD) and require dialysis (including peritoneal
dialysis) or kidney transplantation.
Effective October 1, 1978, amendments to title II and title XVIII of the Social Security
Act made significant modifications in the CRD provisions of the Medicare program.
By law, it is designated the End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) program although SSA will
in its communications to claimants continue to refer to it by the less ominous term,
“chronic renal disease.”