WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 21, 2021)—The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) has joined a group of like-minded organizations to tell Congress to support existing bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would ensure Medicare beneficiaries have access to intravenous (IV) medications in the comfort of their own homes.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a spotlight on the value of home-based care and the ability of health care providers to furnish care remotely, and the Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act (S. 2652 / H.R. 5067) would secure access to home-based IV treatments while also saving taxpayer dollars by shifting care away from more expensive settings. Moreover, independent research demonstrates that up to 95% of patients would prefer to receive their infusions at home, and patients who receive their care at home “repor[t] significantly better physical and mental well-being and less disruption of family and personal responsibilities.”
The Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act provides important clarifications to the 21st Century Cures Act that will ensure Medicare recognizes the full spectrum of professional services that make home infusion a safe and effective option for patients—including the extensive pharmacist services that minimize the need for face-to-face interactions, which are integral to safe and effective treatment. This will enable the delivery of infused medications in patients’ homes, protect those with underlying health conditions from the risk of disease, provide access in rural and underserved communities, relieve burden on hospitals and create savings for patients and taxpayers alike.
Commercial payers have long recognized that home infusion is an efficient and cost-effective site of care. As a report from the Government Accountability Office concluded, “providing infusion therapy at home generally costs less than treatment in other settings … and is largely free from inappropriate utilization and problems in quality of care.”
Moreover, the Congressional Budget Office has consistently concluded that enhanced beneficiary access to home infusion will create savings for the Medicare program, and an independent analysis from The Moran Company estimates this legislation would create $93 million in budgetary savings over 10 years.
Visit nahc.org for more information.
