What KED is
KED stands for Kidney Health Evaluation for Patients with Diabetes. It is the HEDIS measure, maintained by NCQA, that reports the percentage of members 18 to 85 with diabetes who received a kidney health evaluation during the measurement year.
The evaluation has two required parts: an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), which is a blood test of kidney filtering function, and a urine albumin-creatinine ratio (uACR), which detects protein in the urine. Both must be done in the same measurement year for the member to count.
Why KED matters
KED is a clinical quality measure in Medicare Star Ratings, so its rate contributes to the quality bonus payments CMS pays Medicare Advantage plans. It is also a relatively newer measure built around early detection: catching kidney decline in people with diabetes before it progresses to dialysis.
The measure is harder than it looks because it requires two distinct tests. The eGFR is part of routine bloodwork and is usually present; the uACR urine test is frequently skipped, so a member can have most of their diabetes labs done and still register as an open KED gap.
How KED is scored
The denominator is members 18 to 85 with a diabetes diagnosis (type 1 or type 2). The numerator is those who had both an eGFR and a uACR during the measurement year.
Both components are required. A member with an eGFR but no uACR does not count, which is the most common way the gap stays open. The tests do not have to be on the same day, only in the same year.
Exclusions include end-stage renal disease or dialysis, hospice enrollment or services, and, for members 66 and older, frailty with advanced illness.
Common mistakes teams make with KED
- Counting the eGFR and forgetting the uACR. The blood test alone does not close the gap. The missing urine albumin-creatinine ratio is the single most common reason KED stays open.
- Assuming a comprehensive metabolic panel is enough. A standard panel includes the eGFR but not the uACR, so routine diabetes bloodwork can look complete while the measure is still open.
- Not making the urine collection easy. Members skip the uACR when it means a separate trip. Point-of-care urine collection at the visit, or an at-home kit, closes far more gaps.
- Tracking diabetes labs as a single bundle. KED, eye exam, and glycemic status are separate measures with separate requirements; a member can satisfy one and miss the others.
How Pelica handles KED
Pelica's Quality and Stars Copilot tracks KED at the component level on one canonical record, so it flags members who have the eGFR but are still missing the uACR, and routes the specific test that is open, not a generic reminder, to the provider or member. Across Pelica deployments, customers reach roughly 90% KED completion in-year.
Related terms
KED sits inside the HEDIS and Stars diabetes framework. See EED for the diabetes eye exam measure, GSD for glycemic status, and cut points for how a completion rate becomes a star.