The New Kidney-Focused Companies: A Privatized Approach to Value-Based Care and Addressing Social Determinants of Health

With the advent of value-based care (VBC) programs, public and private insurers have kickstarted a commercial market in population health management. The new VBC companies outline goals of promoting high-quality, cost-efficient, and holistic health care, with several exclusively focused on kidney disease (Table 1). They seek to transform kidney health by offering new care pathways for nephrology providers, health care systems, payers, and patients, and profits for their investors through improved clinical outcomes. This article weighs the expected benefits with potential risks for stakeholders through the lens of potentially addressing the adverse social determinants of health (SDOH) associated with kidney disease.