The insurer supports a recommendation from the National Kidney Foundation and the American Society of Nephrology to use an estimated glomerular filtration rate 2021 CKD EPI creatinine equation, which does not use race to estimate kidney function, according to a news release.
UnitedHealth said including race in diagnoses can lead to errors when considering race in diagnoses is not scientifically necessary.
Previous methods factored in a patient’s race, but the organizations no longer deem it an acceptable factor.
“We are absolutely committed to ensuring that patients and members receive the most clinically sound care possible, and we support efforts by the NKF and ASN to address the adverse impact of under-recognition of kidney disease in African American patients,” UnitedHealth CMO Richard Migliori, MD, said.
