BioCentury
ARTICLE | Regulation

(Part) A for effort

How CMS approved additional reimbursement for Optimer, BTG inpatient drugs

August 20, 2012 7:00 AM UTC

BTG plc and Optimer Pharmaceuticals Inc. are the first drug developers in a decade to take advantage of a program whereby the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services provides hospitals additional reimbursement to treat Medicare beneficiaries in an inpatient setting with newly approved products that are both effective and expensive.

Under Medicare Part A, CMS reimburses hospitals for the costs of treatment in an inpatient setting. The agency's fixed payment is based on a patient's diagnosis-related group (DRG), which reflects the average cost of treating Medicare patients with similar symptoms and comorbidities...