Saving Lives and Dollars: The Case for Transplants Over Dialysis
09/01/24 • 22 min
In this episode of "Healthcare on the Rocks: Employee Benefits with a Twist," hosts Brittany Hardaway and David Pittman sit down with Dr. Michael Rees, a kidney transplant surgeon and the founder and CEO of Rejuvenate Kidney Transplant Solutions. Dr. Rees shares his journey into transplant surgery, driven by a desire for innovation and high success rates. He explains the current state of kidney disease treatment in the U.S., highlighting the limitations of dialysis and the superiority of kidney transplants. Dr. Rees paints a stark picture of the risks associated with kidney failure, stating, "Getting a diagnosis of kidney failure is a much worse diagnosis what your chances are of surviving for 5 years than is breast cancer."
The conversation takes an interesting turn as Dr. Rees discusses the barriers to kidney transplantation, including risk aversion in the medical community and financial obstacles for patients. He emphasizes the cost-effectiveness of transplants compared to long-term dialysis, noting that a transplant could save payers "three quarters of a million dollars" over three years. Dr. Rees also shares his frustration with the lack of awareness among healthcare payers about these cost savings, saying, "Payers tend to think that transplant's really expensive." He concludes by highlighting how Rejuvenate Kidney Transplant Solutions is working to educate employers and improve access to transplants.
Key takeaways:
- Kidney transplants are safer and more cost-effective than long-term dialysis
- More than 80% of kidney failure patients in the U.S. die on dialysis without receiving a transplant
- There's a need for better education among healthcare payers about the benefits of kidney transplants
- Innovative solutions, such as covering travel expenses for living donors, could increase transplant rates
- Rejuvenate Kidney Transplant Solutions aims to improve access to transplants and educate employers
Stay in Touch!
- Connect with Dr. Michael Rees on LinkedIn
- Visit Rejuvenate Kidney Transplant Solutions
- Learn more about the Springbuk Activate Partner Marketplace and get other related resources
- Get the complete 2024 Employee Health Trends report and other related resources
Connect with our co-hosts Brittany Hardaway and David Pittman
Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at [email protected].
Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening!
Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside
In this episode of "Healthcare on the Rocks: Employee Benefits with a Twist," hosts Brittany Hardaway and David Pittman sit down with Dr. Michael Rees, a kidney transplant surgeon and the founder and CEO of Rejuvenate Kidney Transplant Solutions. Dr. Rees shares his journey into transplant surgery, driven by a desire for innovation and high success rates. He explains the current state of kidney disease treatment in the U.S., highlighting the limitations of dialysis and the superiority of kidney transplants. Dr. Rees paints a stark picture of the risks associated with kidney failure, stating, "Getting a diagnosis of kidney failure is a much worse diagnosis what your chances are of surviving for 5 years than is breast cancer."
The conversation takes an interesting turn as Dr. Rees discusses the barriers to kidney transplantation, including risk aversion in the medical community and financial obstacles for patients. He emphasizes the cost-effectiveness of transplants compared to long-term dialysis, noting that a transplant could save payers "three quarters of a million dollars" over three years. Dr. Rees also shares his frustration with the lack of awareness among healthcare payers about these cost savings, saying, "Payers tend to think that transplant's really expensive." He concludes by highlighting how Rejuvenate Kidney Transplant Solutions is working to educate employers and improve access to transplants.
Key takeaways:
- Kidney transplants are safer and more cost-effective than long-term dialysis
- More than 80% of kidney failure patients in the U.S. die on dialysis without receiving a transplant
- There's a need for better education among healthcare payers about the benefits of kidney transplants
- Innovative solutions, such as covering travel expenses for living donors, could increase transplant rates
- Rejuvenate Kidney Transplant Solutions aims to improve access to transplants and educate employers
Stay in Touch!
- Connect with Dr. Michael Rees on LinkedIn
- Visit Rejuvenate Kidney Transplant Solutions
- Learn more about the Springbuk Activate Partner Marketplace and get other related resources
- Get the complete 2024 Employee Health Trends report and other related resources
Connect with our co-hosts Brittany Hardaway and David Pittman
Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at [email protected].
Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening!
Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside
Previous Episode
Dialysis Dollars: How Specialty Care Management is Revolutionizing Renal Risk
In this episode of "Healthcare on the Rocks: Employee Benefits with a Twist," hosts David Pittman and Brittany Hardaway sit down with Will Rumsey, Senior Vice President of Sales at Specialty Care Management (SCM). Will shares his journey in the healthcare industry and explains how SCM focuses on risk mitigation in the renal space. He discusses their two main solutions: chronic kidney disease (CKD) management and outpatient dialysis risk mitigation.
Will emphasizes the prevalence of kidney disease, noting that "90 percent of individuals with kidney disease don't realize they have it," and highlights the demographic disparities, stating, "For every one Caucasian, there can be three African American, Latino, or Hispanic individuals with kidney disease."
The conversation dives into the unique aspects of SCM's approach, including their budget certainty model and focus on member experience. Will explains their cost-saving potential, saying, "We went from having $2.7 million to just over $700,000, saving about 73% off of the paid charges."
He also discusses their renal risk assessment process, which provides precise data on kidney disease prevalence within a population. Will addresses the challenges in the healthcare market, particularly around data access and scalability. The episode concludes with Will encouraging listeners to reach out for a free renal risk assessment, stating, "Let us do, at no cost, that renal risk assessment exercise and show you what your exposure could be."
Key takeaways:
- SCM offers CKD management and outpatient dialysis risk mitigation solutions
- Their programs can significantly reduce healthcare costs for employers
- Kidney disease is often undiagnosed and has demographic disparities
- SCM's approach provides budget certainty and improved member experience
- Data analytics and proactive strategies are crucial for future cost containment
Stay in Touch!
- Connect with Will Rumsey on LinkedIn
- Visit Specialty Care Management
- Learn more about the Springbuk Activate Partner Marketplace and get other related resources
- Get the complete 2024 Employee Health Trends report and other related resources
Connect with our co-hosts Brittany Hardaway and David Pittman
Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at [email protected].
Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening!
Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside
Next Episode
Special Encore: Breaking Barriers and Simplifying the Healthcare Experience - Josh Reimer
Way back in Season 1 of our Healthcare on the Rocks podcast, we talked with Josh Reimer, the Director of Channel Partnerships at Included Health, about many of the challenges of today's healthcare system. Since then, Included Health has joined the Springbuk Activate Partner Marketplace, which enables Springbuk clients to see how they can improve care outcomes for members with complex specialty conditions. With the help of Included Health, employers with high-cost claimants can lower costs, provide better outcomes, and improve the satisfaction of their members.
Listen, or perhaps re-listen, to this encore episode while Josh describes how Included Health leverages its data science and clinical expertise, along with a network of 4,000 leading nationwide experts, for a review of a diagnosis or treatment plan recommendation. I hope you enjoy this special encore episode.
Have feedback, questions, or suggestions for show ideas? Send them to us at [email protected].
Please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform, and share it with your friends and colleagues. We appreciate you and thank you for listening!
Theme music: "Overboard" by Stay Outside
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