Chronic kidney disease is a common and serious problem in Australia.  Those with the most severe form, end-stage kidney disease, usually require dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive. It is with these resource intensive and technologically advanced treatments that much of the health costs for chronic kidney disease are incurred, with regular dialysis the most common reason for hospitalisation in Australia. Chronic kidney disease contributes substantially to health care expenditure in Australia and is increasing much faster than expenditure on total health care. In 2004-05 it accounted for 1.7% of total expenditure ($898.7 million), an increase of 33% since 2000-01 ($573.6 million).