Since 1972, many victims of endstage renal disease (ESRD) have received treatment under a unique Medicare entitlement. This book presents a comprehensive analysis of the federal ESRD program: who uses it, how well it functions, and what improvements are needed. The book includes recommendations on patient eligibility, reimbursement, quality assessment, medical ethics, and research needs. Kidney Failure and the Federal Government offers a wealth of information on these and other topics: the ESRD patient population; dialysis and transplantation providers; issues of patient access and availability of treatment; ethical issues related to treatment initiation and termination; and payment policies and their relationship to quality of care. This book will have a major impact on the future of the ESRD program, and will be of interest to health policymakers, nephrologists and other individual providers, treatment site administrators, and researchers.