Last week, from his perches as the vice chairman of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee and the chairman of the U.S. House Health Subcommittee, U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., introduced the “Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act.”
The bill “would ensure patients with serious infections, heart failure, immune diseases, cancer and other conditions receive the intravenous (IV) medications they need while at home.”
Buchanan’s office noted “when given the option, patients would overwhelmingly prefer to receive their infused drugs at home where they are most comfortable and can resume their personal and professional lives” and pointed to research that “shows that up to 95 percent of patients would prefer receiving their infusions at home.
“Despite Congress’ intent, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) improperly implemented the benefit for Medicare Part B home infusion drugs by requiring a nurse to be physically present in the patient’s home in order for providers to be reimbursed. As a practical matter, the current home infusion therapy benefit only acknowledges face-to-face visits from a nurse and fails to account for the extensive clinical and administrative services that are provided remotely by home infusion clinicians. As a result, provider participation in Medicare’s home infusion benefit has dropped sharply and beneficiaries have experienced reduced access to home infusion over the last several years,” Buchanan’s office added. “The Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act provides technical clarifications that will remove the physical presence requirement, ensuring payment regardless of whether a health care professional is present in the patient’s home. The legislation also acknowledges the full scope of professional services provided in home infusion—including essential pharmacist services—into the reimbursement structure.”
“The coronavirus pandemic taught us that home health services are invaluable for seniors in my district and across the country,” said Buchanan. “The aptly-named Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act will ensure that Medicare recipients can continue to receive life-saving drugs in a safe and effective way from the comfort and convenience of their own home.”
U.S. Reps. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., Dianna Harshbarger, R-Tenn., and Terri Sewell, D-Ala., are co-sponsoring the bill.
“We know that the majority of people would prefer to receive care in the home when possible, and over the last few years, we have seen the effective expansion of many home care services, which can result in significant savings for patients and providers. The legislation’s commonsense reforms will expand access to home infusion services for Medicare beneficiaries, saving the Medicare program millions of dollars, cutting patient costs, and ensuring people receive safe and adequate care in the comfort of their own home. I look forward to working with my colleagues to move this bipartisan legislation forward so we can effectively care for people and save money by doing so in a home setting,” said Dingell.
The bill was sent to the U.S. House Energy and Commerce and the Ways and Means Committees.
Over in the U.S. Senate, U.S. Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Tim Scott, R-SC, are championing the companion bill.
“We have seen for years that patients are better off when they can receive quality care from the comfort of their own homes. This legislation would ensure that millions of Americans who suffer from life threatening conditions such as immune diseases, cancer, serious infections, and heart failure can receive the care they need without having to make frequent, sometimes costly trips to the hospital,” said Warner.
“High-risk patients who are more susceptible to contracting disease shouldn’t have to visit a hospital and further risk their health to receive life-saving treatment,” said Scott. “This commonsense legislation ensures that millions of Americans have the option to receive the care they need in the comfort and safety of their own homes.”
The National Home Infusion Therapy Association and Vital Care Infusion Services are backing the proposal.
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