The new definition of a rock and a hard place--Updated

The rock would be Amgen with their newest prescribing information for Epogen and Aranesp. The recommendations for dialysis patients can be summarized as:

Specifically, for patients on dialysis, the label advises physicians to initiate ESA therapy when the hemoglobin level is less than 10 g/dL and guides physicians to reduce or interrupt the dose when the hemoglobin approaches or exceeds 11 g/dL.  So target a hemoglobin higher than needed to prevent transfusions and no higher than 11 g/dL.

The hard place would be the federal government whose Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) for dialysis units states:

The intent is to control anemia and maintain optimum hemoglobin levels within the range of 10-12 g/dL (grams per deciliter).  Anemia management will be assessed by two separate measures: 

1. CMS will assess the percentage of patients whose hemoglobin levels dipped under 10 g/dL.  The program assigns this measure the greatest weight in facility performance calculation, because numbers under 10 g/dL are highly undesirable.  (Weight = 50%)
2. CMS will assess the percentage of patients whose hemoglobin levels exceeded 12 g/dL. Numbers greater than 12 g/dL could suggest unnecessary or excessive administration of certain drugs.  (Weight = 25%)

There is little air to breathe between 10 and 11 g/dL. Something has got to change and my guess is by the end of the year QIP will be suggesting hemoglobins between 9 and 10.

UPDATE: CMS has proposed new rules that remove the lower limit for hemoglobin as a quality measure. Here is some news coverage and here is the PDF.

I think its crazy to remove the lower hemoglobin limit. When CMS introduced the bundled payment system they turned anemia management from a profit center to a cost center for dialysis units. The Quality Incentive Plan was designed to prevent dialysis units from minimizing costs by denying patients adequate treatment. It seems that with the 2013 proposal, a Machiavellian dialysis unit could eliminate anemia management completely and reap financial rewards without penalty.

This can't be right, at the least CMS should add minimizing transfusions as a quality measure, that would reconcile the prescribing information and the quality goals.

Hat tip to the anonymous first poster.