Patient Loses Fight Over Medicare Payment for Growth Hormone

A patient who uses a growth hormone to treat non-HIV related wasting syndrome lost an appeal over whether Medicare should pay for the drug, because it isn’t approved for treatment of his condition, the Ninth Circuit said.

Medicare Part D pays for drugs used to treat any covered outpatient drug approved for a specific use by the Food and Drug Administration or listed in three summaries of drug information, according to the court.

Steven Bruce sought payment for Serostim, which he uses to treat lipodystrophy and wasting syndrome. FDA has approved Serostim to treat HIV-related wasting disease and short-bowel syndrome. ...