Rep. Terri Sewell joined legislators Fred Upton, Debbie Dingell, and Vern Buchanan to introduce H.R. 5067, the Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act. This bipartisan bill would ensure patients with serious viral and fungal infections, heart failure, immune diseases, cancer, and other conditions receive IV medications they need while at home.
Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Mark Warner and Tim Scott.
Sewell stated, āCountless Alabamians, especially those in rural communities, rely on home infusion services for life-saving care. With the risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, it has never been more critical to ensure that patients continue to receive this care safely in their homes. Iām so proud to introduce this bipartisan bill and urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to give it their full support.ā
Rep. Upton commented, āWhile the COVID-19 pandemic certainly took so much from so many, it also gave us the opportunity to rethink the way that we care for the most vulnerable among us. Home infusion, in particular, is a perfect example of how we can bring healthcare services into folksā homes while keeping both patients, their families, and medical professionals safe and healthy. I am proud to co-sponsor this important legislation and will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to expand access to quality, affordable healthcare.ā
āAs we have learned from the coronavirus pandemic, home health services have proven to be invaluable for seniors in my district and across the country,ā said Rep. Buchanan. āThe aptly-named Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act will ensure that Medicare recipients are able to continue to receive life-saving drugs in a safe and effective way from the comfort of their own home.ā
Patients with serious infections, cancer, heart failure, immune system diseases, and other conditions who need medications such as IV therapies can receive these medications in their homes rather than hospitals or nursing homes. Research shows that up to 95% of patients would prefer receiving their infusions at home.
Congress included provisions for this in the 21st Century Cures Act and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. However, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) didn’t implement the benefit properly. They required a nurse to be physically present in the patientās home for providers to be reimbursed. As a result, provider participation has dropped sharply, and beneficiaries have experienced reduced access to home infusion over the last several years.
The act provides technical clarifications that will remove the physical presence requirement, ensuring payment regardless of whether a health care professional is present in the patientās home. The bill will save $93 million over 10 years.
āHome-based infusion services stand out as high-value resources that improve patient quality of life and add capacity to the health care system while providing cost-savings for the Medicare program,ā said NHIA President and CEO Connie Sullivan. āPassage of the Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act is critical to ensuring the Medicare program maintains access to home infusion, allowing beneficiaries to safely receive treatment in the setting they overwhelmingly prefer: their homes.ā
āProviding IV medications in patientsā homes allows individuals to receive their treatments without major sacrifices in their quality of life and without having to rely on transportation to travel to a facility for their treatments,ā said Logan Davis, MBA of Vital Care InfusionServices. āThis legislation will ensure that the Medicare home infusion therapy benefit is accessible to patients, including many who are located in Alabamaās rural or historically underserved communities.ā
