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Kidney Disease Statistics in Louisiana, USA

Louisiana carries one of the heaviest kidney disease burdens in the United States. Whether measured by rates of kidney failure, kidney cancer incidence, or disease-related mortality, the state consistently ranks among the worst in the nation across multiple metrics. More than 13,900 Louisianians are currently living with kidney failure, over 10,000 depend on dialysis to survive, and kidney cancer strikes the state’s residents at rates nearly 40% above the national average.

This article compiles statistical data to present a comprehensive picture of kidney disease in Louisiana. It covers chronic kidney disease prevalence, end-stage renal disease trends, dialysis and transplant infrastructure, kidney cancer incidence and mortality by parish and demographic group, and the financial consequences borne by patients and public programs alike.

The data reveals a state facing a serious and entrenched public health challenge, driven primarily by high rates of diabetes and hypertension in the general population. At the same time, certain trends offer cautious optimism: transplant volumes have grown significantly over the past decade, kidney disease mortality is declining faster than the national rate, and charitable and governmental support continues to reach thousands of patients who would otherwise be unable to afford their care.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Prevalence

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects Louisianians at rates well above the national average. The figures below capture both self-reported diagnoses and Medicare-based figures, which measure different populations and should be read in that context.

Adults ever told they had kidney disease (excluding kidney stones, bladder infections, and incontinence): 4.9% — ranked 44th nationally
Women ages 18–44 told they had kidney disease: 0.9% — ranked 1st nationally
Medicare patients with CKD diagnosed: 13.58%
Citizens with chronic kidney disease (all stages): over 460,000

Louisiana simultaneously ranks 44th in adult self-reported kidney disease, yet 1st for kidney disease among younger women (18–44).

Kidney Failure (End-Stage Renal Disease)

Kidney failure — or end-stage renal disease (ESRD) — is the most severe form of kidney disease. Without treatment through dialysis or a transplant, it is fatal. This section covers the cumulative burden, annual new diagnoses, long-term trends, causes, and underlying risk factors driving kidney failure in Louisiana.

Cumulative Burden by Year

The table below tracks the total number of Louisianians living with kidney failure across multiple reporting years, showing how the burden has evolved over time.

Report Year	Total Living with Kidney Failure	On Dialysis	Living with a Transplant
2021	13,712	10,783	2,929
2022	13,989	10,875	3,114
2024	13,641	10,332	3,309
2025	13,708	10,235	3,473
2026	13,910	10,283	3,627

The total number of Louisianians living with kidney failure has remained persistently above 13,600, peaking at 13,989 in 2022.

New Diagnoses per Year

The following data presents annual figures on newly diagnosed kidney failure cases in Louisiana. For each newly diagnosed cohort, the large majority start dialysis immediately, while only a small fraction receive a transplant.

Year	New Cases Diagnosed	Received a Transplant	Began Dialysis
2018	2,454	48	2,406
2019	2,428	58	2,370
2021	2,432	34	2,398
2022	2,325	58	2,267
2023	2,305	48	2,257

Roughly 2,300–2,450 new kidney failure cases are diagnosed in Louisiana each year. Alarmingly, fewer than 3% of newly diagnosed patients receive a kidney transplant in that first year — the vast majority begin dialysis immediately.

Leading Causes

Diabetes and high blood pressure together account for nearly three-quarters of all kidney failure cases in Louisiana. The proportions have shifted modestly over recent reporting periods.

Report Year	Caused by Diabetes	Caused by High Blood Pressure
2022	47%	28%
2024	44%	29%
2025	43%	30%

Diabetes remains the dominant cause of kidney failure, responsible for nearly half of all cases, though its share has declined slightly from 47% to 43%. High blood pressure’s contribution has edged up from 28% to 30%.

Population Risk Factors

The prevalence of key risk factors in Louisiana’s general population explains much of the state’s elevated kidney disease burden.

Diagnosed with diabetes: 12.6% of the population
Have high blood pressure: 39.7% of the population
Self-report as obese: 35.9% of the population

Nearly 40% of Louisianians have high blood pressure — one of the two leading drivers of kidney failure — and over one in eight has been diagnosed with diabetes.

Kidney Cancer

Kidney and renal pelvis cancer is the fifth most common cancer in Louisiana. The state holds one of the most alarming kidney cancer profiles in the nation — ranking first nationally in incidence and second in mortality for the 2010–2014 period — and continues to substantially exceed national averages in the most recent data. This section covers statewide rates, demographic and geographic breakdowns, survival, and long-term trends.

Statewide Overview and US Comparison

The figures below summarize Louisiana’s kidney cancer burden relative to the United States as a whole.

Approximately 1,251 new kidney cancer cases are diagnosed annually in Louisiana
Most common age at diagnosis: 60–84 years; very uncommon before age 45
Age-adjusted incidence rate (all sexes, 2018–2022): 23.9 per 100,000 vs. US 17.5 — +37% above the US
Age-adjusted incidence rate (males, 2018–2022): 32.6 per 100,000 vs. US 23.7 — +38% above the US
Male incidence 5-year trend: rising +2.1%/year in Louisiana vs. falling −1.1%/year nationally
National incidence rank (all races and sexes, 2010–2014): 1st in the nation at 21.6 per 100,000
Age-adjusted kidney cancer mortality rate (2019–2023): 4.6 per 100,000 vs. US 3.4 — +35% above the US
Average annual kidney cancer deaths (2019–2023): 257
Long-term mortality trend (2000–2023): falling −0.8%/year
Louisiana ranked 2nd highest in the nation for kidney cancer mortality (2010–2014)

Louisiana ranked first nationally in incidence from 2010 to 2014 and continues to exceed national rates significantly.

Incidence by Race, Gender, and Age (2010–2014)

Every racial and gender group in Louisiana substantially exceeds its national counterpart in kidney cancer incidence.

Incidence Rates per 100,000

Group	Louisiana	United States	% Above US
White Males	29.2	21.9	+25%
Black Males	27.5	25.0	+9%
White Females	16.3	11.0	+33%
Black Females	15.4	12.6	+18%

Age-Specific Peak Incidence Rates (Approx. Age 70–75)

Group	Approximate Peak Rate (per 100,000)
Black Males (Louisiana)	~150
White Males (Louisiana)	~140
US Males	~100
Black Females (Louisiana)	~80
White Females (Louisiana)	~70
US Females	~48

White females face the largest relative gap versus national peers (+33%), though Black males carry the highest absolute incidence peak (~150 per 100,000 at age 70–75).

Incidence by Parish, Males (2018–2022)

The table below presents age-adjusted kidney and renal pelvis cancer incidence rates for males across Louisiana parishes, sorted from highest to lowest rate. The statewide male rate (32.6) already exceeds the US rate (23.7) by 38%.

Parish	Urban/Rural	Rate per 100,000	5-Year Trend
Iberville	Urban	57.0	Rising +5.2%/yr
Assumption	Urban	50.8	*
St. Helena	Urban	45.9	*
Vermilion	Urban	43.7	Rising +4.8%/yr
Lafayette	Urban	43.2	Rising +5.1%/yr
Allen	Rural	42.7	*
Jefferson Davis	Urban	41.8	Stable
Terrebonne	Urban	41.5	Rising +2.2%/yr
Acadia	Urban	41.2	Rising +4.0%/yr
Avoyelles	Rural	40.1	Rising +2.6%/yr
Union	Urban	39.2	Stable
Bienville	Rural	37.9	*
St. Martin	Urban	37.1	Stable
St. Charles	Urban	36.6	Stable
Evangeline	Rural	35.9	Rising +3.1%/yr
De Soto	Urban	35.8	*
Tangipahoa	Urban	35.4	Rising +2.4%/yr
St. Bernard	Urban	35.4	Stable
LaFourche	Urban	34.7	Stable
Ascension	Urban	34.7	Stable
Iberia	Rural	34.7	Rising +2.9%/yr
Franklin	Rural	34.2	Rising +5.2%/yr
West Baton Rouge	Urban	34.5	Stable
Bossier	Urban	34.5	Rising +2.9%/yr
St. Landry	Rural	33.7	Stable
Jackson	Rural	33.4	*
Livingston	Urban	33.1	Rising +1.8%/yr
Louisiana (statewide)	—	32.6	Rising +2.1%/yr
Ouachita	Urban	32.5	Rising +2.8%/yr
East Baton Rouge	Urban	32.4	Rising +1.6%/yr
Jefferson	Urban	32.3	Rising +1.4%/yr
Pointe Coupee	Urban	32.1	*
Washington	Rural	31.8	Stable
St. John the Baptist	Urban	31.7	Stable
St. Mary	Rural	30.9	*
Calcasieu	Urban	30.7	Stable
Natchitoches	Rural	30.6	Stable
Plaquemines	Urban	30.6	Stable
Sabine	Rural	29.6	Stable
St. Tammany	Urban	29.1	Stable
Webster	Rural	28.1	*
Caddo	Urban	27.3	Stable
West Feliciana	Urban	27.0	*
Concordia	Rural	27.2	*
Orleans	Urban	26.3	Rising +8.5%/yr
St. James	Urban	26.3	*
Beauregard	Rural	26.5	*
Richland	Urban	26.2	*
Rapides	Urban	25.4	Stable
East Feliciana	Urban	22.0	*
Lincoln	Rural	21.7	*
Vernon	Rural	21.0	*
United States (comparison)	—	23.7	Falling −1.1%/yr

*Trend not calculable due to small case counts.

Iberville Parish (57.0) has an incidence rate nearly 2.4 times the national average. Lafayette (+5.1%/yr), Iberville (+5.2%/yr), and Franklin (+5.2%/yr) are rising fastest.

Five-Year Relative Survival by Stage

Survival rates vary dramatically by stage at diagnosis. The data below presents overall Louisiana survival figures followed by breakdowns by race and sex.

Overall Louisiana — All Races, Both Sexes (2007–2013)

Stage	5-Year Survival Rate	% of Cases Diagnosed at This Stage
Localized	89.6%	67%
Regional	64.6%	16%
Distant (metastatic)	10.2%	16%
Unstaged	37.4%	1%

By Race and Sex (2007–2013)

Group	Localized	Regional	Distant	% Diagnosed Localized
White Males	90.7%	69.8%	13.1%	64%
White Females	89.2%	62.5%	11.1%	70%
Black Males	86.1%	53.0%	5.2%	67%
Black Females	89.0%	56.9%	0.0%	75%

Stage at diagnosis is the single most critical determinant of survival. Localized kidney cancer is highly survivable (86–91%), while distant-stage disease is almost uniformly fatal within five years.

Long-Term Incidence Trends (1988–2014)

The following data captures how kidney cancer incidence has changed in Louisiana since 1988, segmented by race and sex.

Group	APC	~1988 Rate	~2014 Rate	Trend
White (overall, LA)	+3.0%*	~12	~25	Rising
Black (overall, LA)	+3.1%*	~11	~21	Rising
White Males (LA)	+2.8%*	~16.5	~33.0	Rising
White Females (LA)	+2.9%*	~8.5	~16.0	Rising
Black Males (LA)	Variable	~20.0	~27.0	Rising
Black Females (LA)	Rising	~6.5	~16.0	Rising
US Males	—	~13.0	~22.0	Rising
US Females	—	~8.5	~11.0	Rising

The long-term picture shows that incidence has been rising steadily for over 25 years across all groups — roughly doubling from 1988 to 2014 for White males.

Dialysis in Louisiana

Dialysis is the primary life-sustaining treatment for most Louisianians with kidney failure. Because ESRD is formally classified as a disability, Medicare covers dialysis for over 80% of patients regardless of age.

Dialysis centers in Louisiana: 169
Louisianians currently on dialysis (2026 data): 10,283
Medicare patients on dialysis (NKF 2023 data): 8,495
% of dialysis treatments covered by Medicare: Over 80%
Medigap insurance available to dialysis patients under 65: Yes (Louisiana offers this)
% of ESRD patients unable to work: Over 80%
Average out-of-pocket costs for dialysis patients per year: Over $10,000
Average income of patients receiving charitable assistance: Under $25,000

Dialysis is simultaneously a medical necessity and a financial catastrophe for most patients. With over 10,000 Louisianians dependent on dialysis to stay alive — spread across 169 centers — and more than 80% unable to work due to the demands of treatment, the economic consequences extend well beyond medical costs.

Kidney Transplants

Kidney transplantation offers substantially better quality of life and long-term outcomes compared to dialysis. This section covers the transplant waiting list, annual transplant volumes, and the outcomes achieved by Louisiana’s four transplant centers.

Waiting List

The data below tracks the number of Louisianians on the kidney transplant waiting list over recent years, alongside key indicators of unmet need.

2020: 1,786 Louisianians on the kidney transplant waiting list
2021: 1,769 Louisianians on the waiting list
2022: 1,710 Louisianians on the waiting list
2023: 1,832 Louisianians on the waiting list
2024: 1,720 Louisianians on the waiting list
2026 (most recent): 1,824 Louisianians on the waiting list

In 2022, 78 patients died while waiting on the Louisiana transplant list
In 2020, approximately 1 in 5 Louisianians on the waiting list received a kidney transplant

The waiting list has hovered between 1,700 and 1,832 with no clear long-term reduction. The death of 78 patients on the list in a single year (2022) underscores the human cost of the organ shortage.

Transplants Performed

The volume of kidney transplants in Louisiana has grown considerably since 2011, driven primarily by increases in deceased donor transplants, while living donor volumes have remained comparatively modest.

Transplant Year	Total	Living Donor	Deceased Donor	Notable Comparison
2020	348	—	—	—
2021	402	88	314	+51.7% total vs. 2011; +29.4% LD vs. 2011
2022	352	—	—	NKF data
2023	426	91	335	+73% total vs. 2013; +34% LD vs. 2013
2024	421	84	337	+41% total vs. 2014; +22% LD vs. 2014
2025	455	82	373	+60% total vs. 2015; +58% LD vs. 2015

2025 (455 total) is the highest transplant volume recorded in the dataset
Deceased donor transplants account for approximately 80–82% of all transplants performed
None of Louisiana’s transplant centers participated in any National Kidney Registry (NKR) programs in the most recent reporting period

Total transplant volume has grown substantially — by over 60% compared to a decade prior. However, living donor transplants have plateaued and even declined in absolute terms (from 91 in 2023 to 82 in 2025), despite strong long-term improvement versus 2015.

Transplant Center Outcomes

Louisiana has four kidney transplant centers: three serving adults and one dedicated to pediatric patients. The outcomes below cover graft (kidney) survival and patient survival at 1 and 3 years. LD = Living Donor; DD = Deceased Donor.

Adult Outcomes

Center	LD Tx (Prior Yr)	LD 1-Yr Graft	LD 3-Yr Graft	LD 1-Yr Patient	LD 3-Yr Patient	DD 1-Yr Graft	DD 3-Yr Graft	DD 1-Yr Patient	DD 3-Yr Patient
LSU-Willis Knighton Medical Center	4	83%	71%	100%	86%	89%	87%	93%	94%
Ochsner Medical Center	53	98%	94%	99%	98%	95%	86%	98%	94%
Tulane Medical Center	25	97%	94%	97%	99%	93%	84%	97%	93%

Ochsner Medical Center performs the highest volume of living donor transplants (53 in the prior year) and posts the strongest living donor outcomes, with a 3-year patient survival of 98%.

Pediatric Outcomes

Children’s Hospital of New Orleans is Louisiana’s only pediatric kidney transplant center. Its outcomes reflect primarily deceased donor transplants, as no living donor pediatric transplants were performed in the most recent reporting year.

Center	LD Tx (Prior Yr)	LD 1-Yr Graft	LD 3-Yr Graft	LD 1-Yr Patient	LD 3-Yr Patient	DD 1-Yr Graft	DD 3-Yr Graft	DD 1-Yr Patient	DD 3-Yr Patient
Children’s Hospital of New Orleans	0	83%	90%	100%	100%	97%	93%	100%	96%

Children’s Hospital of New Orleans demonstrates exceptional patient survival — 100% at both 1 and 3 years for living donor cases, and 100% at 1 year for deceased donor recipients. Deceased donor 3-year graft survival (93%) is also strong.

Kidney Disease Mortality Statistics

Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer Mortality

Mortality by Race and Gender

The mortality gap between Louisiana and the US mirrors the incidence gap, affecting all demographic groups.

Group	Louisiana Rate (per 100,000)	US Rate (per 100,000)	% Above US
White Males	7.3	5.8	+25%
Black Males	7.1	5.5	+29%
White Females	3.4	2.5	+36%
Black Females	3.2	2.4	+33%
Overall (2019–2023)	4.6	3.4	+35%

Louisiana’s overall kidney cancer mortality rank (2010–2014): 2nd highest in the nation
Average annual kidney cancer deaths (2019–2023): 257

Louisiana’s kidney cancer mortality ranked 2nd nationally in 2010–2014 and continues to exceed the US rate by 35% in the most recent period.

Mortality by Parish (2019–2023)

Parish-level kidney cancer mortality reveals substantial variation within the state. Parishes are listed from lowest to highest death rate among those with sufficient data to report.

Parish	Urban/Rural	Death Rate per 100,000	5-Year Trend
Rapides	Urban	2.7	Falling −3.8%/yr
Orleans	Urban	3.3	Falling −2.5%/yr
East Baton Rouge	Urban	3.5	Stable
St. Tammany	Urban	3.6	Stable
Livingston	Urban	3.7	*
Jefferson	Urban	4.1	Falling −1.8%/yr
Iberia	Rural	4.1	*
Tangipahoa	Urban	4.4	Stable
Ascension	Urban	4.4	Stable
Caddo	Urban	4.5	Stable
Louisiana (statewide)	—	4.6	Falling −0.8%/yr
Bossier	Urban	4.7	Stable
St. Landry	Rural	5.1	Stable
Ouachita	Urban	5.2	Stable
St. Martin	Urban	5.4	*
Lafayette	Urban	6.0	Rising +21.9%/yr
Calcasieu	Urban	6.1	Stable
LaFourche	Urban	6.4	Stable
Webster	Rural	6.6	Stable
Terrebonne	Urban	6.8	Stable
Vermilion	Urban	6.8	Stable
Acadia	Urban	6.9	Stable
Beauregard	Rural	7.4	*
Iberville	Urban	7.6	*
United States (comparison)	—	3.4	Falling −1.4%/yr

*Trend not calculable due to small case counts.

Iberville (7.6) and Beauregard (7.4) have kidney cancer mortality rates more than double the US average.

Long-Term Mortality Trends (1988–2014) – Annual Percent Change (APC)

Group	APC	Approximate Rate Range	Trend
Males (LA)	−1.5%*	~8 → ~5	Declining
Females (LA)	−1.6%*	~3.5 → ~1.5	Declining
White (overall, LA)	+1.7%*	Fluctuating 6–8 (M), 3–4 (F)	Relatively stable
Black (overall, LA)	−0.3	Fluctuating 6–9 (M), 2–6 (F)	Relatively flat

*Statistically significant APC.

The long-term picture shows that kidney cancer mortality has been declining, particularly among males and females overall.

Nephritis & Nephrosis Mortality

Deaths classified under kidney disease (nephritis and nephrosis) — distinct from kidney cancer — are substantially higher in Louisiana than the national average. This section presents statewide figures and a full parish-level breakdown.

Statewide Figures

Age-adjusted death rate (2019–2023): 20.2 per 100,000 vs. US 13.4 — approximately 50% higher than the national average
Average annual deaths (2019–2023): 1,083
Age-standardized death rate: 21.0 per 100,000
Death rate: 19.7 per 100,000, with 1,115 average annual deaths
5-year trend: falling at −2.4%/year — faster than the US rate, which is stable at 0.0%/year

Louisiana’s kidney disease mortality rate is approximately 50% higher than the national average. The encouraging development is that the state’s mortality is declining at −2.4% per year — faster than the national rate, which has remained flat.

By Parish (2019–2023)

The variation in kidney disease mortality by parish is extreme — the highest-rate parish (Richland) has a death rate more than seven times that of the lowest (Calcasieu). Parishes are listed from highest to lowest rate.

Parish	Rate per 100,000	Avg. Annual Deaths	5-Year Trend
Richland	47.7	11	NA
Iberville	41.5	15	Stable
Jefferson Davis	36.6	14	Rising +7.1%/yr
Madison	34.2	4	NA
Washington	33.7	20	Stable
Allen	32.8	8	NA
West Carroll	30.7	4	NA
Plaquemines	30.1	7	NA
Evangeline	30.0	11	NA
East Baton Rouge	29.6	142	Stable
Beauregard	29.4	12	NA
La Salle	28.3	5	NA
East Feliciana	28.0	7	NA
Concordia	27.4	6	NA
Bienville	27.1	5	NA
West Baton Rouge	25.4	8	NA
St. John the Baptist	23.4	10	NA
Assumption	23.2	7	NA
Sabine	23.2	7	NA
Webster	23.1	12	NA
Orleans	23.0	98	Falling −4.9%/yr
Union	23.0	8	NA
Rapides	22.6	35	Stable
Jackson	22.5	5	NA
Jefferson	22.5	124	Stable
Livingston	22.3	30	Falling −2.0%/yr
LaFourche	22.2	25	Stable
St. Mary	21.7	13	NA
Morehouse	21.3	6	NA
De Soto	20.8	7	NA
St. Bernard	20.8	8	NA
Acadia	20.6	14	Stable
St. Helena	19.9	3	NA
Iberia	19.7	15	Falling −3.5%/yr
St. Martin	19.4	12	NA
West Feliciana	19.2	3	NA
Claiborne	19.0	4	NA
St. Tammany	19.0	63	Falling −5.8%/yr
Terrebonne	18.7	22	Stable
St. Charles	18.6	10	NA
Avoyelles	18.5	9	NA
St. James	17.9	5	NA
Ascension	17.8	20	Falling −2.3%/yr
Vermilion	17.5	12	NA
Vernon	17.2	8	NA
Tangipahoa	16.8	23	Falling −7.2%/yr
Lincoln	15.6	8	NA
Ouachita	14.9	26	Falling −3.1%/yr
Lafayette	14.8	37	Falling −4.3%/yr
Grant	13.6	3	NA
Bossier	13.5	19	Stable
St. Landry	13.3	12	NA
Pointe Coupee	12.2	4	NA
Caddo	10.5	32	Falling −6.6%/yr
Natchitoches	10.5	5	NA
Calcasieu	6.2	15	NA
Louisiana (statewide)	20.2	1,083	Falling −2.4%/yr
United States	13.4	—	Stable 0.0%/yr

NA = Trend not calculable due to small case counts or insufficient data.

Richland Parish’s rate (47.7) is more than double the statewide average and more than three times the national rate.

Financial Impact

Kidney failure creates profound financial consequences for patients, the state, and federal programs alike. This section covers charitable assistance received by Louisiana patients, the insurance landscape of those assisted, and the Medicare cost implications of different treatment pathways.

Charitable Assistance

The American Kidney Foundation (AKF) provides charitable grants to help low-income patients afford insurance premiums and health care costs not covered by insurance. Louisiana’s usage of this assistance has varied significantly year to year.

Year	Patients Receiving AKF Grants	Total Assistance
2020	2,656	$8,800,000
2021	2,778	$8,414,292
2023	1,494	$5,699,426
2024	1,425	$5,669,059
2025	1,558	Not specified

Key Financial Burden Facts

More than 80% of ESRD patients cannot work; ESRD is formally classified as a disability
Average income of AKF-assisted patients: under $25,000/year
Average out-of-pocket costs for dialysis patients: over $10,000/year
Of AKF-assisted patients nationally: 34.7% are Black; 20.9% Hispanic/Latino; 5.2% Native American/Asian/Pacific Islander

Charitable assistance reached a peak of 2,778 patients in 2021, likely reflecting heightened need during the pandemic period, then declined to around 1,425–1,558 in subsequent years.

Insurance Coverage Among Assisted Patients

The tables below show the distribution of insurance types among Americans who received AKF charitable premium assistance, for years where Louisiana-linked data is available.

2021

Insurance Type	% of Assisted Patients
Medicare Part B	36.8%
Medigap	31.1%
Employer Group Health Plans (incl. COBRA)	18.9%
Commercial Plans	10.5%
Exchange	3.4%
Annuity	1.5%
Medicare Advantage	1.2%
Medicaid (states charging premiums)	0.1%

2023

Insurance Type	% of Assisted Patients
Medicare Part B	44.6%
Medigap	23.4%
Employer Group Health Plans (incl. COBRA)	17.2%
Medicare Advantage	1.4%

2024

Insurance Type	% of Assisted Patients
Medigap	27.3%
Medicare Part B	25.0%
Commercial Employer Group Plans (incl. COBRA)	20.1%
Medicare Advantage	0.6%

Medicare (Part B, Advantage, and Medigap combined) consistently covers the largest share of assisted patients, reflecting the federal program’s role as the primary payer for ESRD regardless of age.

Medicare Costs

Medicare data provides a clear picture of how costs escalate across the disease continuum, and why transplantation — though requiring an initial surgical investment — offers substantial long-term savings over continued dialysis.

Pre-kidney failure (CKD stages): $25,920 per person per year
Active dialysis patient: $79,439 per person per year
First year after kidney transplant: $23,308 per person per year. Of which $6,947 per year was for immunosuppressant medications (2016–2019 data)
Medicare covers over 80% of all dialysis treatments in the US
Dialysis costs Medicare more than 3 times the cost in the first year after a kidney transplant
In 2022, 78 patients died on the Louisiana waiting list — each representing both a human loss and the ongoing dialysis costs of a patient who never received a transplant

A dialysis patient costs Medicare $79,439 per year — more than three times the $23,308 cost in the year following a successful kidney transplant.

Conclusion

Louisiana’s kidney disease statistics collectively paint a picture of a state under serious and sustained strain. With more than 13,900 residents living with kidney failure, nearly 2,300 new cases diagnosed every year, and kidney cancer rates among the highest in the nation, the cumulative burden on patients, families, the healthcare system, and public insurance programs is immense. The financial toll compounds the medical one: dialysis costs Medicare nearly $80,000 per patient per year, and the majority of patients — unable to work — depend on charitable assistance simply to afford their insurance premiums, often on incomes below $25,000 annually.

There are nevertheless meaningful signs of progress. Total kidney transplant volume has grown by more than 60% over the past decade, reaching a record 455 transplants in 2025. Kidney disease mortality has been declining at 2.4% per year — faster than the national rate, which has remained flat. Kidney cancer mortality has trended downward since 2000. Several high-population parishes, including Tangipahoa, Caddo, St. Tammany, and Lafayette, show significant improvements in kidney disease death rates. Louisiana’s transplant centers — particularly Ochsner and Tulane — post strong patient survival outcomes, and the state’s decision to offer Medigap insurance to dialysis patients under 65 provides a financial safeguard not universally available across the US.

The primary levers for long-term improvement remain prevention and access. With diabetes (43%) and high blood pressure (30%) driving the vast majority of kidney failure cases — and with 12.6% of Louisianians diagnosed with diabetes and nearly 40% with hypertension — reducing the burden of these upstream conditions would have the most profound impact on future kidney disease rates. Simultaneously, expanding living donor transplantation (currently at 0% National Kidney Registry participation across all Louisiana centers) and improving early detection of kidney cancer, where localized-stage survival exceeds 89%, represent targeted opportunities to change outcomes for those already affected. The data presented in this article makes clear both the scale of the challenge and the specific areas where action could yield the greatest results.