Trends in Patient Characteristics and First-Year Medical Costs of Older Incident Hemodialysis Patients, 1995-2005

From 1995 to 2005, incident hemodialysis patients aged ≥67 years became older, sicker, and more obese with significantly increased estimated glomerular filtration rates and hemoglobin levels at dialysis therapy initiation. Increased first-year post-dialysis therapy initiation costs became stable over time after adjustment for price inflation; case-mix-inflation-adjusted costs remained constant, possibly because of mixed changes in patient characteristics.