DI 45010.001 End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD/CRD)—General
The 1972 amendments, effective July 1, 1973, extended health insurance coverage (R-HI
and R-SMI) to persons who have chronic renal disease (CRD) and require regular dialysis
or kidney transplantation.
Effective October 1, 1978, amendment to title II and title XVIII of the Social Security
Act made significant modifications in the Chronic Renal Disease (CRD) Program, now
called the End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Program. These modifications are outlined
in DI 45001.001 and HI 00801.186f. The most significant modifications involving the issue of continuation
or termination of ESRD Medicare coverage was the extension of the period of Medicare
coverage from 12 months to 36 months following the month of kidney transplant. In
cases of cessation of regular dialysis, Medicare coverage was not changed by the 1978
Amendments; entitlement continues for 12 months following the month dialysis ended.