[Legal and economic aspects of peritoneal dialysis].
Treatment of renal insufficiency is, in it principle, covered by "hospital law" and its decrees of application: however the regulations for these methods of treatment only concern hemodialysis centers. CAPD is only subjected to a memorandum from the "Caisse Nationale d'Assurance Maladie" (National Medical Insurance) dated November 26, 1979, which fixes a weekly price. The text only concerns CAPD with single bag and does not deal the new methods. These new techniques are very expensive and well above the current weekly fixed price. According to a survey of the cost, carried out by AURA (Paris), during the first six months in 1992, the price of such techniques involves an average additional cost of 45% when double bags were used and 80% when APD was operated. In the long term, these techniques will result in substantial savings for the National Medical insurance scheme by reducing the risk of peritonitis and by facilitating patients' social and professional activity. However, the absence of adequate reimbursement causes running deficits and curbs development. Public Service Authorities should consider all these factors and should not forget that PD is generally cheaper than hemodialysis.