Aetna limits anemia drug payments

Anemia drug sales have taken a beating since Medicare tightened rules to limit when it would pay for them. Now, Aetna has set limits on anemia drug reimbursements too, issuing new rules that follow Medicare's lead. Observers expect other private insurers to establish similar policies in short order.

Earlier this year, Medicare decided that while it would pay for use of drugs like Procrit, Aranesp and Epogen when used to treat certain cancers, it wouldn't pay to use the drugs to prevent anemia. This move upset so many parties that two House of Representatives members introduced a resolution which would force Medicare to rescind its new policy. (The resolution is still under discussion.)

To learn more about Aetna's decision:
- read this Los Angeles Times piece

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