OBJECTIVES:  To assess, the hospitalization episode cost, and the clinical / demographical determinants from the payer perspective, for patients in dialysis currently treated in RTS Disease Management Program. METHODS:  Data collection: Episodes of hospitalization, demographic and clinical variables were identified by reviewing RTS Disease Management Program clinical records. Each episode was matched with the billing data base from a referent high complexity hospital in order to collect the cost per episode charged to the payer. A harmonized, adjusted and validated data base was built with 59 variables and 752 episodes. Descriptive analysis: measures of central tendency and variability were applied for continuous variables, and proportions for categorical variables. Correlations among episode cost and other explicative variables were assessed. Inferential analysis: A log lineal and quantile regression analysis was used to study covariates that influence the hospitalization episode costs. RESULTS:  hospitalization episode cost estimation: mean COP 7,088,009, median COP 3,507,080 and Standard Deviation COP ±13,008,555. Covariates with downsized effect on cost: hypertension as unique cause of renal disease (p<0.05), high socioeconomic level (p=0.08), albumin > 4 mg/dl (p=0.05), hemoglobin > 9mg/dl (p<0.01), normal KTV (p=0,09). Covariates with expanded effect on cost: Length of stay (p<0.01), Diabetes Mellitus (p<0.05), cardiac valve disease (p=0,09), peripheral artery disease (p<0.01), cardiovascular disease (p<0.05), intensive care unit requirements (p<0.01), surgery (p<0.01) and overweight (p=0.05). F test of the model p < 0.000 R-squared = 0.6. CONCLUSIONS:  hospitalization episode cost in dialysis patients is a skewed variable that the in average is estimated in COP 7,088,009. Thirteen clinical and demographic covariates were found to explain some of the variability in the hospitalization episode cost.