OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the clinical and economic effects of providing a comprehensive disease management (DM) program that includes early detection, broad education, and optimal management of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). METHODS: Clinical and economic data were collected in 2005 on 296 CKD patients enrolled in a DM program for at least 6 months from Renal Therapy Services in Colombia. In addition, participants were required to have completed at least two glomerular filtration rate (GFR) measurements. The purpose of the DM program was to slow the deterioration of renal function, thus slowing the transition to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and thus dialysis treatment. The primary outcome measure was the rate at which GFR declines as measured by the Cockroft-Gault equation. This was compared to a conservative benchmark of 5ml/min/year. Costs of the DM program, additional months free of dialysis treatment and associated dialysis treatment costs were estimated through 2012. A discount rate of 3% was applied to costs and benefits. RESULTS: The average GFR decline rate in the DM population was 1.8ml/min/year. This resulted in an additional 525 months free of dialysis for the entire DM population. The benefit of averted dialysis costs (after discounting) was US$517,621. The cost of providing DM program in 2005 was US$16,784. Assuming constant costs of providing the DM service to patients through 2012, total discounted cost for the DM program was estimated to be US$104,591. The benefit-cost ratio of providing a CKD DM program was 4.95 to 1 (4.95:1) CONCLUSION: A multidisciplinary DM program for patients with CKD could result in substantial cost savings by slowing renal disease progression. Further investigation using a controlled study is needed to verify these initial results.