Comparative Effectiveness: Avastin Vs Lucentis

Running head: COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS: AVASTIN VS LUCENTIS
Review Case 8: Comparative Effectiveness: Avastin vs Lucentis
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

1COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS: AVASTIN VS LUCENTIS
1) If you were a CMS official, what coverage-related policies would you promote? 100
Ans: I was the CMS official I would increase the subsidisation for Lucentis. Increasing
subsidisation could be possible through reimbursement. For the patients of
ophthalmological issues I would promote a lifelong health-coverage for Lucentis
injection. For reimbursement per injection co-payment financial plan can be used for long
term benefit. In this co-payment financing the patient would be involved as minimum as
possible. This coverage plan would increase the affordability of the patient for Macular
Degeneration Treatment or MDT.
2) If you were a legislator with oversight of a state Medicaid program, how would you
respond to this case? 150
Ans: If I were the legislator I would not ban the Avastin injection from being used as a
treatment of MDT. However, I would also considered that Avastin can be also associated
with high eye pressure after injection. Apart from that, Avastin can also cause heart attack
and other related adverse health events due to overdose (Ross et al., 2016). However,
currently for low dosage use in MDT, Avastin has not been found as negative intervention.
However, we do not have any evidence to ensure its beneficial effect for long term (Fong et
al., 2013). I would try to amend the legislative procedure by focusing the Avasting as a plan
B treatment method. I would also co-operate the trials regarding Medicaid program to ensure
the long term impact of using Avasting for MDT.

2COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS: AVASTIN VS LUCENTIS
References:
Fong, D. S., Custis, P., Howes, J., & Hsu, J. W. (2013). Intravitreal bevacizumab and
ranibizumab for age-related macular degeneration: a multicenter, retrospective
study. Ophthalmology, 117(2), 298-302.
Ross, E. L., Hutton, D. W., Stein, J. D., Bressler, N. M., Jampol, L. M., & Glassman, A. R.
(2016). Cost-effectiveness of aflibercept, bevacizumab, and ranibizumab for diabetic
macular edema treatment: analysis from the diabetic retinopathy clinical research
network comparative effectiveness trial. JAMA ophthalmology, 134(8), 888-896.