Aranesp Medicare reimbursement raised again
Executive Summary
Reimbursement rate for Amgen's Aranesp (darbepoetin alpha) for 2004 is $3.88 per microgram under Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' 1interim final rule on the hospital outpatient prospective payment system. In November, CMS said it would boost reimbursement from $2.37 to $3.24 per microgram (2"The Pink Sheet" Nov. 10, 2003, p. 14). With the latest raise, Aranesp reimbursement will be 64% higher in 2004 than its current rate. CMS says that, in accordance with the recently passed Medicare law, reimbursement should be "the combined pass-through amount and 3% additional payment" (for a total 88% of AWP) because it is a sole-source drug...