Growth Hormones

Covered Uses:	All FDA approved indications not otherwise excluded from Part D. Additional off-label coverage is provided for (note - some growth hormone drugs may be labeled for 1 or more of these indications): adult growth hormone deficiency, growth failure in children small for gestational age or with intrauterine growth retardation, idiopathic short stature, GH deficiency associated with Turner Syndrome, growth failure secondary to chronic renal failure/insufficiency in children who have not received a renal transplant, short stature associated with Noonan Syndrome, and for the treatment of Prader-Willi Syndrome.
Exclusion Criteria:	Coverage is not provided for constitutional delayed growth
Required Medical Information:	Pediatric GHD: epiphyses must be confirmed open in patients 10 years of age and older, AND 1. diagnosis confirmed by any 2 provocative tests or by both low IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels in patients who meet the height related conditions of coverage, 2. diagnosis confirmed by 2 provocative tests and both low IGF-1 and IGF-BP3 in patients not meeting height related coverage conditions, or 3. 3 pituitary hormone deficiencies in pt with irreversible hypothalamic-pituitary structural lesions or panhypopituitarism. Growth failure from CRF: PGHD criteria must be met without the provocative tests or IGF-1 and IGF-BP3 related conditions. Idiopathic Short Stature: epiphyses must be confirmed as open in patients greater than or equal 10 years of age, height must be less than or equal - 2.25 sds from the mean. Small for Gestational Age: failure to manifest catch up growth by age 2 defined as birth weight, birth length, or both that are more than 2 sds mean normal values following adjustment for age and gender. Turner’s syndrome and Noonan Syndrome: epiphyses must be confirmed as open and when on therapy. Adult GHD: requires either 1. a negative GH provocative test when the AGHD is due to childhood onset GHD, pituitary or hypothalamic disease, surgery or radiation therapy, or trauma, OR 2. 3 pituitary hormone deficiencies and baseline serum IGF-I levels below the age- and sex-appropriate reference range when the AGHD is due to irreversible hypothalamic-pituitary structural lesions or panhypopituitarism not acquired as a child, OR 3. 3 pituitary hormone deficiencies if adult panhypopit or irreversible hypothalamic-pituitary structural lesions are from childhood. Short bowel syndrome: when receiving specialized nutritional support.
Age Restrictions:
Prescriber Restrictions:	Pediatric endocrinologist for ISS
Coverage Duration:	1 month for short bowel syndrome, 12 months for other indications
Other Criteria:	Height related conditions of coverage – 1. height below the third percentile for their age and gender related height, 2. growth velocity subnormal greater than or equal 2 standard deviations (sds) from the age related mean, 3. delayed skeletal maturation greater than or equal 2 sds below the age/gender related mean. Renewals for PGHD, CFR, SGA, Turner's and Noonan Syndromes require growth response of greater than or equal 4.5 cm/yr (pre-pubertal) or greater than or equal 2.5 cm/yr (post-pubertal) AND open epiphyses. For pediatric patients with irreversible hypothalamic-pituitary structural lesions or panhypopituitarism coverage is renewable if the patient has had 3 pituitary hormone deficiencies. Renewals for short bowel syndrome is provided in the presence of clinical benefit (such as, decreasing the patient’s intravenous nutritional requirements). Renewals for Prader-Willi syndrome is provided if pt has increase in lean body mass or decrease in fat mass. Renewals for ISS is provided in the presence of a growth response of greater than or equal 1.5 cm/yr AND open epiphyses. Renewals for AGHD is provided in the presence of clinical benefit (e.g., increase in total lean body mass, increase in IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels, or increase in exercise capacity).

Last Modified on 12/19/2012