National Kidney Foundation Drives Significant Gains in Kidney Disease Testing for People with Diabetes
New York, NY — April 9, 2026 — The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) recently announced measurable progress in closing the chronic kidney disease (CKD) testing gap among people with diabetes, following the release of new national performance data from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
The data, based on the Kidney Health Evaluation for Patients with Diabetes (KED) HEDIS measure, shows consistent year-over-year increases in kidney testing rates across all major insurance segments between 2021 and 2024. These improvements translate into an estimated 2 million additional people receiving appropriate kidney screening, an essential step in early diagnosis and treatment of CKD.
“This is exactly the sustained, system-wide progress we set out to achieve,” said Joesph Vassalotti, MD, Chief Medical Officer at NKF. “By aligning clinical practice guidelines, quality measures, and incentives, we are helping ensure that more patients are diagnosed earlier when interventions can make the greatest difference.”
A System-Wide Shift in Kidney Care
The KED measure evaluates whether patients with diabetes receive two critical tests annually: estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and urine albumin-creatinine ratio (uACR). Together, these tests enable proper diagnosis and staging of CKD to inform treatment to reduce kidney and cardiovascular risk.
Since its introduction in 2020 and subsequent inclusion in federal programs such as Merit-based Incentive Payment System and Medicare Advantage Star Ratings, the measure has driven steady improvements across Commercial, Medicaid, and Medicare populations. Gains ranging from 4 to 9 percentage points across payer types indicate broad, systemic change affecting millions, rather than isolated improvement.
CKDintercept Catalyzing Progress
The progress is closely tied to NKF’s CKDintercept initiative, launched to address widespread underdiagnosis of kidney disease. Prior to these efforts, fewer than 40% of people with diabetes received recommended annual kidney testing.
Through collaboration with NCQA, NKF helped establish quality measures that spotlight testing gaps and incentivize action. In parallel, NKF developed tools and resources including the CKD Change Package, data strategies, and learning collaboratives—to support health systems, payers, and clinicians in improving care delivery.
Progress Made—But Work Remains
Despite encouraging gains, testing rates remain below optimal levels. Even in top-performing segments, fewer than 60% of patients with diabetes receive recommended screening, and rates are significantly lower for patients with hypertension.
The data also highlights disparities, particularly within Medicaid populations, where opportunities remain to improve equitable access to kidney care.
“Momentum is building, but we are not where we need to be yet,” said National VP, Clinical Innovation and Population Health at NKF Elizabeth Montgomery. “Sustained improvements in testing will require systemic integration of kidney health into primary care workflows, supported by reimbursement frameworks that prioritize prevention over late-stage treatment.”
Looking Ahead
NKF emphasizes that the steady upward trend reflects the cumulative impact of coordinated efforts across the healthcare ecosystem. Continued investment in kidney health infrastructure, quality measurement, and clinical education will be essential to sustain and accelerate progress.
“These incremental gains represent millions of people who now have a chance at earlier diagnosis and better outcomes,” added Montgomery. “This moves the field meaningfully closer to reducing preventable kidney disease in the US.”
To read more about this progress, read the CKDinternept blog post here: https://www.kidney.org/news-stories/closing-ckd-testing-gap-how-national-kidney-foundation-moving-needle
About Kidney Disease
In the United States, CKD remains an under-recognized public health burden that impacts 1 in 7 adults, and 90 percent of those affected are unaware of their condition. Approximately 1 in 3 U.S. adults are at risk for CKD, but less than 20% are assessed with guideline-recommended testing, eGFR and uACR. Risk factors for kidney disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history. People of Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. Black or African American people are about four times as likely as White people to develop kidney failure. Hispanic and Native American people experience kidney failure at approximately double the rate of White people.
About the National Kidney Foundation
The National Kidney Foundation is revolutionizing the fight to save lives by eliminating preventable kidney disease, accelerating innovation for the dignity of the patient experience, and dismantling structural inequities in kidney care, dialysis, and transplantation. For more information about NKF, visit www.kidney.org.
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Media Contact:
Sam Tyler
National Kidney Foundation
Director of Professional and Scientific Communications
Phone: 202-279-1505
Email: sam.tyler@kidney.org