House bill would reverse Medicare anemia drug limits

Of late, anemia drug administration has become a hot potato, particularly when Medicare announced that it would not cover use of anemia medications in some situations [1]. Now, a pair of U.S. Representatives have introduced a resolution which would forcibly change CMS's policy.

Medicare said in July that it would cover use of Aranesp and Procrit when a patient had anemia caused by chemotherapy, but not when the anemia was caused by cancer.  The move upset many House members, 250 of whom signed a letter sent to CMS last year arguing that the decision would inappropriately cause more cancer patients to undergo blood transfusions.

To learn more about the bill:
- read this Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report item [2]

Related Articles:
Dialysis firms defend anemia drug use along ethnic lines. Report [3]
FDA group recommends anemia drug limits. Report [4]
Anemia drug rebates challenged. Report [5]
Regulators question anemia drugs. Report [6]
New study points to danger of anemia drug. Report [7]