Dialysis and Medicare: what to check before you choose a plan

• Your dialysis center and nephrologist: are they in the network?
• The plan's yearly out-of-pocket limit, which matters when you use care often.
• Your medicines, including those your doctor prescribes for kidney care.
• Transportation and other benefits some plans offer, and whether they apply to you.

Original Medicare lets you use any doctor or center that accepts it, but has no yearly limit on costs unless you add a supplement. Advantage plans have a yearly limit but use networks. Which is better depends on how you use care, so compare using your own numbers.

• Your dialysis center's name
• Your nephrologist's name
• Your medicine list
• Your current coverage

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