"South Carolina has the national distinction of being the only state in the U.S. where the Part B Carrier does not cover interferon for any indication...[or] the pre-operative use of epoetin alpha," Greenville, S.C. oncologist Mark O'Rourke told a recent HCFA "town hall" meeting. "The Pink Sheet" incorrectly listed products that O'Rourke considers to be "most-effectively administered by subcutaneous injection," including Amgen's Neupogen, Immunex' Leukine and Ortho's Procrit, as products not covered by the Medicare carrier (1"The Pink Sheet" July 31, p. 10)

"South Carolina has the national distinction of being the only state in the U.S. where the Part B Carrier does not cover interferon for any indication...[or] the pre-operative use of epoetin alpha," Greenville, S.C. oncologist Mark O'Rourke told a recent HCFA "town hall" meeting. "The Pink Sheet" incorrectly listed products that O'Rourke considers to be "most-effectively administered by subcutaneous injection," including Amgen's Neupogen, Immunex' Leukine and Ortho's Procrit, as products not covered by the Medicare carrier (1"The Pink Sheet" July 31, p. 10)

Medicare's South Carolina carrier is refusing coverage for enoxaparin (Aventis' Lovenox), dalteparin (Pharmacia Fragmin) and interferon (Schering-Plough's Intron A) because they can be self-administered, despite a 1999 Congressional mandate requiring coverage, a South Carolina oncologist reported to a May 18 HCFA Town Hall meeting.