Medicare Trends in Intravitreal Anti-VEGF Use: A Population-Based Study (2014-2023).

OBJECTIVE

To characterize national trends, reimbursement patterns, and geographic variation in intravitreal anti-VEGF use among Medicare beneficiaries from 2014 to 2023.

DESIGN

Retrospective cross-sectional study.

PARTICIPANTS

All Medicare Part B fee-for-service beneficiaries receiving intravitreal anti-VEGF injections billed by ophthalmologists in the United States.

METHODS

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Physician and Other Supplier Public Use File was used to identify intravitreal anti-VEGF injections administered between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2023. Agents included aflibercept, ranibizumab, bevacizumab, brolucizumab, and faricimab, identified using Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System codes. Service units were converted to injection counts using drug-specific dosing information. Longitudinal trends were assessed using the Mann-Kendall test.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Annual intravitreal injection counts, number of unique Medicare beneficiaries receiving each agent, standardized Medicare reimbursement per injection, and state-level utilization rates per 100 000 beneficiaries.

RESULTS

From 2014 to 2023, a total of 36 398 293 intravitreal anti-VEGF injections were administered to Medicare beneficiaries. Aflibercept use increased significantly (618 796 injections in 2014 vs. 1 713 729 in 2023; τ = 0.91; P < 0.001). Ranibizumab (808 890 vs. 388 600; τ = -0.16; P < 0.59), bevacizumab (1 202 334 vs. 1 450 034; τ = -0.07; P < 0.86), and brolucizumab (45 861 in 2019 vs. 5381 in 2023; τ = -1.00; P < 0.09) showed no significant monotonic trends. Faricimab demonstrated rapid early uptake after its introduction in 2022 (65 052-556 512 injections). Standardized Medicare reimbursement per injection declined significantly for ranibizumab ($1234.35-$724.74; τ = -1.00; P < 0.001) and aflibercept ($1527.37-$1379.54; τ = -0.82; P = .001), remained stable for brolucizumab, and increased for bevacizumab ($46.76-$300.73; τ = 0.69; P < 0.01). In 2023, state-level utilization varied by up to 31.6-fold, from 5723/100 000 beneficiaries in West Virginia to 180 838/100 000 in Alaska.

CONCLUSIONS

Intravitreal anti-VEGF utilization among Medicare beneficiaries increased substantially from 2014 to 2023, driven primarily by growth in aflibercept use and rapid adoption of faricimab. Reimbursement for certain branded agents declined over time, whereas substantial geographic variation in injection rates persisted across states. Continued monitoring is warranted because biosimilars, emerging agents, and novel delivery systems enter the US market.

FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.