BioCentury
ARTICLE | Clinical News

Voraxaze glucarpidase regulatory update

September 10, 2012 7:00 AM UTC

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will provide hospitals with additional reimbursement payments beyond the predetermined standard rates for the use of BTG's Voraxaze glucarpidase to treat patients with toxic levels of methotrexate due to impaired renal function in an inpatient setting, effective Oct. 1. The payments are part of CMS's new technology add-on payment (NTAP) program, which was initiated in 2001 to provide additional reimbursement for innovative therapies that incur more costs than can be covered by the standard reimbursement rates. Hospitals will receive additional payments of up to 50% of the cost of Voraxaze for 2-3 years while the standard reimbursement rates are recalculated. For FY2013, the maximum additional add-on payment for Voraxaze will be $45,000.

CMS said Voraxaze "represents a substantial clinical improvement for Medicare beneficiaries," though the agency noted that it is still interested "in seeing clinical endpoints that show that reduction in methotrexate levels leads to improved renal function." The details on Voraxaze's add-on payment came in a final rule CMS issued last month for the Medicare inpatient prospective payment system for FY13. ...