Though Eddie's in the hospital - supposedly for diabetes - the pallet on the deal (saying he's 'denied' for the dialysis machine) doesn't exist. Dialysis machines have never been available as 'at-home' medical equipment, both due to their (still) very high cost, but (much) more importantly; each time a dialysis machine needs to be used requires a doctor or nurse to do a check-up on the patient, and also requires that the machine be calibrated each time - to very exacting levels and measurements, things which a patient could never be allowed to do on their own, due to the (very) high risk of making a life-threatening mistake.
When Jim's visiting Eddie Marks at the hospital, he sees a form, denying his application for
Medical assistance. It says; 'Edward J. Marks, born 3 March, 1926, and his age is given as '61'. The problem is at the time of filming - 1976, Eddie would only be 50 years old 11years younger.
When Jim (James Garner) visits Eddie (Howard Duff) in hospital, Jim presents him with a box of candy, which Eddie says he's unable to eat - he says he's only able to eat 'purified food'. Actually, what he meant to say was 'purèed food'; food which had been liquefied 'purified food' would mean it had contaminants removed. Additionally, though not outright stated, Eddie says; it's his 'kidneys that are going bad', implying he's got either diabetes and/or is in need of a kidney transplant, and though sugar would be bad, having pureed (or even purified) food would in no way be beneficial - the pureed food would possibly be given if he had stomach problems, i.e., an ulcer, though the ordered diet would most likely be soft, bland foods.