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Irrational Medicine: Limitations on Medicare Drug Coverage for Kidney Patients Costs Taxpayers Millions of Dollars
House Committee on Government Reform Special Investigations Division
House Committee on Government Reform
Special Investigations Division
Abstract
The Special Investigations Division of the House Committee on Government Reform investigated the use of Vitamin D hormone drugs by patients suffering from kidney disease to assess the economic impact of medication restrictions under Medicare. Due to restrictions from federal law, Medicare was prohibited from covering the orally administered version of the hormone, despite it working just as well as the injectable version. The investigation revealed that Medicare could save $122 million if patients were allowed to use the oral medication. Similarly, federal policy also requires patients to pay 20% of the medication cost for the injectable version, which costs patients a cumulative $44 million per year and could be reduced by $35 million if they were permitted to use the oral medication.
Date
2000-04-17
Document Type
House Minority Staff Report
Serial Number
Document Length
11 pages
Congress
106
Relation
DOI
Keywords
Staff Reports
PAP Major Code
3: Health
PAP Minor Code
335: Prescription Drug Coverage and Costs
Related Hearings
Press Releases and Contextual Information
https://web.archive.org/web/20051024194730/http://www.democrats.reform.house.gov/story.asp?ID=577&Issue=Prescription+Drugs