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Retina specialists could face compensation issues regarding bevacizumab, other procedures
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NEW YORK — A new rule currently under review by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services could drastically reduce the compensation for bevacizumab, while other billing codes germane to the practice of retina are also being reconsidered.
A new rule passed last week by the CMS mandates compensation for Avastin (bevacizumab, Genentech) based on average price of the drug. According to Trexler M. Topping, MD, however, the new rate does not account for associated expenses.
"They recently announced the development of code Q2024 for Avastin at a $1.24 per 0.025 mg, giving you a little over $7 for a typical intravitreal dose," Dr. Topping said here during a presentation at the Retina Congress 2009. "The particular methodology that CMS used ignores the medical, legal and risk management issues of separating individual doses from a large vial of drug."
The decision could significantly affect reimbursement for practicing retinal specialists, and it comes at a time when other codes are being revalued by the relative value update committee, the body that recommends code reimbursement rates to the CMS.
According to Dr. Topping, both the injection code and the code for optical coherence topography have been called up for review, and while the American Academy of Ophthalmology is working closely with the relative value update committee, there is early indication that both codes will be significantly devalued.