Short answer up top, then the exact rule. Here's what Original Medicare does and doesn't cover for dialysis in 2026 — and where a Medicare Advantage plan can fill the gap.
Quick answer: Yes. Medicare covers dialysis for End-Stage Renal Disease — and ESRD is one of the ways you can get Medicare before 65. You need both Part A and Part B for the full benefit. Part A covers inpatient dialysis; Part B covers outpatient and home dialysis, training, and drugs. You pay 20% after the Part B deductible.
Beginning January 1, 2021, all Medicare-eligible people with ESRD can enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan — before that, enrollment was allowed only in limited circumstances (the 21st Century Cures Act made the change). Advantage plans cover dialysis with plan copays and use a network of dialysis facilities, which matters if you travel. Weigh the plan's out-of-pocket maximum against Original Medicare's open-ended 20%.
Anyone starting dialysis or planning for it. Two decisions carry the most money: Part A and Part B together (skipping B guts the benefit, since outpatient and home dialysis live there), and how you'll cover the 20% — a Medigap plan or an Advantage plan's out-of-pocket cap.
See the current Part A, Part B, and Part D numbers — premiums, deductibles, and the new drug cap — in one place. Free, no signup.
See 2026 Medicare Costs →After you meet the Part B deductible you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for outpatient and home dialysis. Original Medicare has no out-of-pocket cap, so that 20% is open-ended on ongoing treatment — this is why many people on dialysis pair Medicare with a Medigap plan or choose a Medicare Advantage plan that has a maximum out-of-pocket.
Yes. Part B covers home dialysis treatments, the drugs and supplies used at home, and home dialysis training for you and the person who helps with your treatments if you're a candidate for it. Medicare generally covers 3 hemodialysis treatments per week or the peritoneal-dialysis equivalent.
Coverage gaps in Original Medicare — like dialysis — are exactly what a Medicare Advantage or Medigap plan is meant to fill. Our free Enrollment Finder shows the window you can switch in, and the guide library walks through the trade-offs. This page is free to share with anyone weighing their options.
Open the Enrollment Finder →This answer is based on U.S. government Medicare coverage rules: