Anemia in the News

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has scheduled an advisory committee meeting on March 24, 2010 to review evidence on the use of erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs) to manage anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

CMS will be seeking advice from the Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee (MedCAC) to help establish national coverage policies for the use of ESAs to treat anemia in patients with CKD. CMS establishes reimbursement rates and policies for the federal health insurance programs Medicare and Medicaid – insurers of the elderly and disabled in the United States.

For the roughly 26 million Americans diagnosed with CKD, anemia is a common complication affecting 27% of early-stage patients and 87% of later-stage patients.¹ Currently, over 95% of end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients receive ESA therapy.(RefB)

View the announcement released by CMS.

References

1. Guralnik JM, Eisenstaedt RS, Ferrucci L, Klein HG, Woodman RC. Prevalence of anemia in persons 65 years and older in the United States: evidence for a high rate of unexplained anemia. Blood. 2004 Oct 15;104(8):2263-68. Link.

Last Updated: September 1, 2009