Testing the
untested

Reducing
the $124B CKD burden with earlier detection

Millions of Americans have chronic kidney disease (CKD) but just don't know it.

Undiagnosed cases may eventually progress to end-stage renal disease and require dialysis.

Smartphone-powered testing can improve access to care and help more people get tested.

CKD:
the silent killer

75 million
American adults are at risk for CKD. People with diabetes or hypertension are at the highest risk.

37 million
already have CKD.

90%
‍don’t know they have it.[1]

A
disproportionate burden
for underserved populations
4X
70%
Black Americans are almost four times more likely to develop kidney failure.
The number of Hispanics with kidney failure has increased by more than 70% since 2000.[2]

The financial
burden of CKD

Medicare annual cost of treatment:
$124B
nearly a quarter of
all spending [3]
$87B
$37B
for end-stage renal disease (ESRD), treated with dialysis or transplant
for all other stages of diagnosed CKD

Albuminuria: early predictor of CKD

CKD is asymptomatic in its early stages, making early detection critical. A urine ACR (albumin to creatinine ratio) test can detect kidney damage much earlier than the common eGFR blood test.[4]
Albuminuria:
Sign of
kidney
damage
eGFR:
Sign of
decreased
kidney
function
CKD stage 1-2
CKD stage 3-4
Early detection window
Patients with albuminuria are at three times the risk for cardiovascular disease. ACR is an independent risk factor for heart attack and stroke, even when eGFR is normal. Early detection allows for treatment that can reverse albuminuria and dramatically reduce risk.[5]

ACR: lowest test completion rates

Despite clinical guidelines from organizations such as the National Kidney Foundation and the American Diabetes Association, annual urine testing for at-risk people remains very low.

eGFR
90%
Mammogram
76%
HbA1c
75%
Colorectal cancer
67%
Dilated eye exam
63%
Urine Albumin [6]
20%

The HEDIS®
kidney gap

The new Kidney Health Evaluation for Patients with Diabetes (KED) measure, now a proposed Star measure, requires that at-risk members take an annual urine ACR test in addition to a blood eGFR test. If ACR adherence remains low, health plans' performance rates will suffer.
Former metric
Diabetes: medical attention for nephropathy
Average performance: 85%
49%
uACR
36%
Other nephropathy
test
15%
Nothing
Current metric
Evaluation of kidney health
Average performance: 49%
49%
eGFR and uACR
51%
Other nephropathy test

Improving access to care with smartphone-powered testing

Smartphone ownership has increased rapidly over the past decade, across all socio-economic groups. Harnessing this ubiquitous device can help close testing and care gaps.
85%
86%
of Americans own smartphones.[7]
of adult Medicaid beneficiaries own smartphones.[8]
Minuteful Kidney is the first and only FDA-cleared, smartphone-powered home kidney test. It allows people to test their kidney function anytime, anywhere, using any device, and receive instant results.
Minuteful Kidney increases test adherence to up to 50% in untested populations
01
Member receives a Minuteful Kidney kit straight to their door
02
Member takes the test at home using their smartphone
03
Results are available instantly and shared with PCP and health plan
97%
97%
>40%
said they had a positive experience
intend to discuss their test results with their doctor
of completed tests reveal abnormal or high abnormal results

At-Home kidney testing

Validated outcomes for health plans[9]
Total cost of care
‍reduction by avoiding progression of CKD and dialysis
Positive ROI
within two years
$1,008
3-year net gain peridentified member
Improved quality performance
‍HEDIS, Star ratings and CAHPS scores
Get an ROI report for your health plan
  1. National Kidney Foundation
  2. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
  3. United States Renal Data System
  4. National Committee for Quality Assurance
  5. Levey, Andrew S., et al. "The definition, classification, and prognosis of chronic kidney disease: a KDIGO Controversies Conference report." Kidney international 80.1 (2011): 17-28.
  6. Weight average for adherence rate of both diabetic (40%) and hypertensive (7%) patients. US Renal Data System; Lou, Susan, and Aasma Shaukat. “Noninvasive strategies for colorectal cancer screening: opportunities and limitations.” Current opinion in gastroenterology vol. 37,1 (2021); Narayan, Anand et al. “Nationwide cross-sectional adherence to mammography screening guidelines: national behavioral risk factor surveillance system survey results.” Breast cancer research and treatment vol. 164,3 (2017); Diabetes report card (2019); CDC Diabetes Report Card; National Kidney Foundation.
  7. Pew Research Center
  8. Deloitte Insights
  9. Outcomes derived from a model performed by an external credentialed actuary. The model is based on actuarial evaluation of medical and pharmacy claims data representing 4.9 million members managed under Medicare Advantage and 12.7 million members managed under commercial plans. Net gain and ROI is calculated assuming proper management and treatment of the disease after diagnosis.
HEDIS® is a registered trademark of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
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