Positive Reimbursement Continues for Aerocrine’s Asthma Test
SOLNA, Sweden - 20 November, 2012 - Aerocrine AB (OMX Nordic Exchange: AERO) announces that Horizon BlueCross BlueShield of New Jersey will retire its negative medical policy for FeNO testing. The policy change is effective December 12, 2012. After the negative policy is retired, physicians submitting claims will be reimbursed.
Horizon BlueCross BlueShield has advised Aerocrine, Inc. that they will retire their negative coverage policy regarding Fractional exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO) testing. “Horizon completed its review of this test and concluded that the test will be considered a standard of care,” wrote Horizon medical director Stanley Harris, M.D. and “our medical policy will subsequently be retired” on December 12, 2012. Horizon is the largest insurance company in New Jersey and provides private payer coverage of over 2.8 million lives.
“With this and recent coverage changes, private payer FeNO coverage nationwide is estimated at 50 percent, more than doubling since 2011,” stated Wendy Smith, Aerocrine Director of Health Policy and Economics.
In addition to the Horizon BlueCross BlueShield policy change, Virginia’s Medicaid program will add FeNO to the state Medicaid fee schedule on January 1, 2013. The state has over 880,000 Medicaid beneficiaries. With the addition of Virginia, FeNO will be covered by Medicaid in 35 states.
"Nitric oxide measurement helps physicians better assess and manage patients with allergic airway inflammation. We will be better able to identify patients who will respond to inhaled corticosteroids and even determine in whom we may be able to decrease the doses of asthma controller medications," said Thomas A. Selvaggi M.D. Hackensack Allergy and Asthma Center LLC.
“FeNO testing takes the guesswork out of assessing allergic airway inflammation in asthma. The wording in Dr. Harris’ letter came after a thorough review of the scientific and clinical data on FeNO and they designated it as “standard of care” for the asthma patients in their health plan”, said Dr. Paul Dorinsky, MD, North America Medical Director for Aerocrine.
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by symptoms including wheezing and difficulty in breathing. Asthma is one of this world’s most common and costly diseases, affecting 8-10 percent of the population and costing over $52B annually in the U.S. alone. The disease has no cure and proper diagnosis and management of the disease are key to physicians effectively treating patients.
For more information, contact:
Ken Marshall, President, Aerocrine Inc., telephone +1 (919) 280 9687
Kathy Hodgdon, Sr Director of Marketing, Aerocrine Inc., telephone +1 (314) 566 8546
Scott Myers, Chief Executive Officer, Aerocrine AB, Phone: +46 768 788 379
About Aerocrine
Aerocrine AB is a medical products company focused on the improved management and care of patients with inflammatory airway diseases. As the pioneer and leader in technology to monitor and manage airway inflammation, Aerocrine markets NIOX MINO® and NIOX Flex®. Both products enable fast and reliable management of airway inflammation and may therefore play a critical role in more effective diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients with inflammatory airway diseases such as asthma. Aerocrine is based in Sweden with subsidiaries in the U.S., Germany, Switzerland and the U.K. Aerocrine shares were listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange in 2007.
Aerocrine may be required to disclose the information provided herein pursuant to the Securities Markets Act and/or the Financial Instruments Trading Act. The information was submitted for publication at 8:00 a.m. on November 20, 2012