CMS issues OPPS final rule

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its final rule for the Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) for 2005. Under the OPPS rule, CMS made no change to the reimbursement rates for anemia drugs Procrit epoetin alfa and Aranesp darbepoetin alfa. CMS said "initial review of new information submitted by the commenters provides no compelling evidence that the conversion ratio" for the drugs is unreasonable. Aranesp is marketed by Amgen (AMGN), and Procrit is marketed by Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) business unit Ortho Biotech. ...