← brief for 2026-09-08 · People & money

Racial and Ethnic Variations in Reductions in Etelcalcetide Use After Withdrawal of the Transitional Drug Add-on Payment Adjustment

Key takeaways

Etelcalcetide is an IV drug given during dialysis to calm an overactive parathyroid gland, a common problem that weakens bones in kidney failure. From 2018 to 2020 Medicare paid for it separately, on top of the usual dialysis payment. This study looked at what happened to its use after that extra payment ended, and found the drop was not the same across racial and ethnic groups. This is an observational look at billing patterns, so it shows a link between the payment change and who kept getting the drug, not proof that one caused the other.

Source

Paper · AJKD · 2026-09-08
https://www.ajkd.org/article/S0272-6386(26)01091-7/fulltext?rss=yes