Increase the proportion of people with sickle cell disease on Medicare who received disease-modifying therapies — BDBS‑02

Status: Baseline only

  
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Baseline only

Most Recent Data:
12.4 percent (2016)

Target:
15.9 percent

Desired Direction:
Increase desired

Baseline:
12.4 percent of Medicare beneficiaries aged 18 to 75 years with sickle cell anemia received disease modifying therapies in accordance with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)'s guidelines in 2016

Increase the proportion of Medicare beneficiaries with sickle cell disease who receive disease modifying therapies

Target-Setting Method
Percentage point improvement

Summary

Sickle cell disease is the most common genetic blood disorder in the United States, and it’s more common in some racial/ethnic groups. It can affect every system in the body and cause severe acute and chronic pain. Evidence suggests that hydroxyurea, a recommended therapy that’s been used to treat sickle cell disease for decades, can help reduce complications.