April 26, 2004 - While states view Medicaid preferred-drug lists as money savers, many doctors see them only as barriers to care. Article from American Medical News.

August 8, 2003 - A South Carolina Medicare claims processor has decided to pay more for a specific vitamin D supplement for dialysis patients. AP story from TheState.com.

The president of the National Medical Association (NMA), the nation's largest organization of black physicians, on Thursday thanked the Medicare carrier in South Carolina for reversing their policy that had prevented kidney dialysis patients from receiving an important medication. NMA press release via U.S. NewsWire.

July 31, 2003 - The latest issue of The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) contains a study that compares survival of dialysis patients with different forms of injectable vitamin D. While a prospective, randomized study is critical to confirm their findings, a historical review found that patients taking paricalcitol had a 16 percent lower risk of early death than those taking calcitriol. Summary from HealthDay. (link is no longer available)

"Survival of Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis with Paricalcitol or Calcitriol Therapy" - abstract from NEJM

"Paricalcitol as Compared with Calcitriol in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis" - editorial extract from NEJM

July 30, 2002 - American Medical News is reporting on the recent dispute in Florida over vitamin D replacement therapy for dialysis patients.

First Coast Service Options Inc., Florida's Medicare contractor, adopted a conservative policy on vitamin D replacement therapy that brought public criticism from local nephrologists. The case points to the advantages and disadvantages of local decision-making in Medicare. Story from AM News.

July 2, 2002 - The Florida Renal Coalition today praised First Coast Service Options (FSCO) for its decision to reimburse for whichever drug physicians chose to treat "High PTH" in kidney dialysis patients. FSCO issued a new policy on June 224 that allows continued reimbursement for Zemplar indefinitely. Story from US Newswire.

The Wisdom of Wellness Foundation has announced today support for a lawsuit filed by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) seeking to prevent the federal government from approving state programs that limit Medicaid patients' access to certain prescription drugs. Story from Business Wire/Yahoo. (link is no longer available)

July 1, 2002 - First Coast Service Options Inc., the company that runs Florida's Medicare program, halted the implementation of a controversial rule that would have cut reimbursements to dialysis patients who want to take an expensive form of vitamin D therapy.

First Coast had said patients could still take Zemplar, but Medicare would only reimburse them for the cost of Calcijex. Story from the Orlando Sentinel. (link is no longer available)

May 24, 2002 - The Chairman of the National Medical Association strongly condemned a proposal by Texas and Florida Medicare officials that would restrict access to Vitamin D therapies for secondary hyperparathyroidism, a condition often causing bone disease in dialysis patients. Story from U.S. Newswire.

The National Medical Association is the oldest and largest professional organization representing the interests of more than 25,000 African American physicians.

May 15, 2002 - The Chairman of the National Medical Association, Randall W. Maxey, MD, will testify today in Dallas against a proposal to restrict access to vitamin D therapies by the insurance company that administers Medicare in Texas. Story from U.S. Newswire.

May 14, 2002 - The Florida Renal Coalition denounced the back-door implementation of Medicare restrictions on vitamin D therapies for dialysis patients. News story from U.S. Newswire.

Here is an editorial from the Jacksonville Business Journal on this issue.

First Coast Service Options Inc., a subsidiary of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Inc. that manages the government's Medicare program in Florida, quietly posted their policy on their Web site May 6 with a unilateral start date of June 24.

May 3, 2002 - Two more articles from Florida about Medicare reimbursement for vitamin D therapies:

• "Provider to change options for kidney dialysis patients" - article from the Florida Times-Union
  
  
  
• "Protest erupts on dialysis medication" - article from The Business Journal of South Florida.

April 25, 2002 - Members of the Florida Renal Coalition gathered yesterday to demand that Florida's Medicare carrier abandon a proposal that would restrict access to Vitamin D therapies for secondary hyperparathyroidism. Story from U.S. Newswire.

April 8, 2002 - First Coast Service Options Inc., a subsidiary of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Inc. that manages the government's Medicare program in Florida, estimated that its revised plan to require new dialysis patients to use a cheaper Vitamin D therapy will save the state about $3 million a year. Story from the Orlando Sentinel. (link is no longer available)

April 4, 2002 - First Coast Service Options Inc., a subsidiary of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Inc. that manages the government's Medicare program in Florida, has decided not to implement a policy change that would force dialysis patients currently on intravenous vitamin D therapy to be switched to the oral form for at least 90 days before they could be switched back.

Instead, only new dialysis patients will be required to start with the cheaper, oral vitamin D therapy. Story from the Orlando Sentinel. (link is no longer available)

April 3, 2002 - A member of the House of Representatives of the state of Florida is criticizing a proposed policy that would restrict access to IV vitamin D therapies for secondary hyperparathyroidism in dialysis patients. Story from U.S. Newswire/Yahoo. (link is no longer available)

First Coast Service Options in Jacksonville, the Blue Cross/Blue Shield company that administers Medicare in Florida, has proposed a policy that would force patients to begin treatment with an oral form of Vitamin D therapy.

March 22, 2002 - The Florida State Medical Association (FSMA) urged the Medicare carrier in Florida to scrap a proposal that would limit dialysis patients' access to vitamin D therapy. Story from U.S. Newswire.

March 19, 2002 - A member of the House of Representatives of the state of North Carolina praised a decision by North Carolina's Medicare carrier to drop a controversial plan that would have placed new conditions on kidney dialysis patients' access to vitamin D therapies for bone disease management. Story from U.S. Newswire.

March 13, 2002 - Dr. Randall W. Maxey, chairman of the National Medical Association, said he was "astonished" that South Carolina's Medicare carrier continues to restrict coverage of vitamin D therapy for kidney dialysis patients after a similar plan in North Carolina was abandoned due to fierce opposition. Story from US Newswire.

February 5, 2002 - The National Kidney Foundation of Kentucky has joined others in criticizing AdminaStar Federal Inc., which is the Medicare administrator for Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and parts of Virginia and West Virginia, for proposing a policy that would restrict dialysis patients' access to vitamin D therapies. Story by U.S. Newswire.


February 2, 2002 - The National Renal Administrators Assocation (NRAA) has released a paper stating its position regarding the proposed revision to reimbursement policy of Vitamin D therapy. Here is the February 1st statement from ther NRAA. (link is no longer available)

AdminaStar Federal Inc., which is the Medicare administrator for Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and parts of Virginia and West Virginia, is under fire from several sources for proposing a policy that would restrict access to vitamin D therapy for kidney dialysis patients who suffer from secondary hyperparathyroidism. Here are press releases from: National Kidney Foundation of Virginia (link is no longer available)

State Senator C.J. Prentiss of Ohio (link is no longer available)

National Kidney Foundation of Ohio (link is no longer available)

Here is the RenalWEB Topic Page on Bone Disease, Vitamin D Therapies, and Secondary Hyperparathyroidism.

January 29, 2002 - In Florida, First Coast Service Options in Jacksonville, the insurance company that administers Medicare in the state, has proposed a policy that would restrict access to vitamin D therapies for secondary hyperparathyroidism, a serious condition faced by many dialysis patients.

In response, dozens of physicians, patient advocates and health care providers, including the president of the Florida Society of Nephrology (FSN), stated their concenrn to Medicare officials at an open-door forum, held Jan. 18 at the Baltimore offices of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Story from U.S. Newswire.

September 26, 2001 - The Florida Conference of Black State Legislators today called on Florida's Medicare administrator to abandon a draft policy that would restrict access to vitamin D therapies for secondary hyperparathyroidism. (link is no longer available)

Rep. Frederica Wilson, said "Medicare should not be pinching pennies at the expense of Florida's black community."

August 1, 2001 - Some Florida physicians are urging the state Medicare administration not to limit access to certain vitamin-D therapies for ESRD patients. (link is no longer available)

July 31, 2001 - The Florida Society of Nephrology and the Florida Medical Association urged the Jacksonville-based state carrier of Medicare to continue coverage of three vitamin-D therapies, Zemplar, Hectorol, and Calcijex, used by many dialysis patients.


[This message has been edited by Gary Peterson (edited 05-20-2004).]