The Cell and Gene Therapy Access Model, which seeks to increase access to treatments for Medicaid enrollees with rare and severe diseases, will initially focus on sickle cell disease, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced. The genetic blood disorder affects over 100,000 Americans, most of whom are Black and at least half of whom are enrolled in Medicaid. The model will begin in 2025.

“Gene therapies for sickle cell disease have the potential to treat this devastating condition and transform people’s lives, offering them a chance to live healthier and potentially avoid associated health issues,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “Increasing access to these promising therapies will not only help keep people healthy, but it can also lead to savings for states and taxpayers as the long-term costs of treating sickle cell disease may be avoided.”

Related News Articles

Headline
Overall cancer death rates declined steadily among both men and women from 2018 through 2022, according to the National Institutes of Health's latest annual…
Headline
A study published April 14 by JAMA Network Open found that rates of pancreatic and colon cancer rose among young adults from 2000-2021. Researchers examined…
Headline
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services April 10 released key priorities for new CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, who was confirmed to the position April…
Headline
People under age 50 who consume cannabis are 6.2 times more likely to experience a heart attack than individuals who do not, according to a study published by…
Headline
A study published March 26 by the National Institutes of Health and the University of Oxford found that individuals who engaged in light and moderate-to-…
Headline
Sara Robinson, senior associate healthcare architect at McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, and Jamie Feinour, vice president of operations at Novant Health…