Legislators introduce bill to reverse CMS decision on ESA coverage

Federal lawmakers are presenting a united front in their battle to save Medicare reimbursements for anemia drugs. Reps. Anna Eshoo (D, Calif.) and Mike Rogers (R, Mich.) have introduced a bill to reverse a CMS decision to restrict reimbursements to low-dose levels of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs). Thedecision, issued in July, limits the duration of ESA treatment to a maximum of eight weeks after a chemotherapy session and requires doctors to wait until hemoglobin levels drop below 10 gm/dl before starting ESA treatment. The restrictions have come under fire from several groups, including the