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House, Senate introduce home infusion bills

House, Senate introduce home infusion bills

WASHINGTON - Legislation that seeks to preserve access to Part B home infusion medications was introduced March 12 in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The bill would provide technical clarifications to remove the requirement that a home infusion professional must be present in the home on the day services are provided to be paid.

“Medicare's home infusion therapy benefit provides increased access to care for patients with immune diseases, cancer, serious infections, heart failure, and other conditions that might otherwise force these patients to receive their care in a more expensive and less convenient hospital or nursing home setting,” said Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., who introduced the bill with Sens. Tim Scott, R-S.C., as well as Reps. Elliot Engel, D-N.Y., Terri Sewell, D-Ala., Kenny Marchant, R-Texas, and Fred Upton, R-Mich. “This legislation will ensure that Medicare enrollees in need of home infusion therapy can get the care they need in a more comfortable environment and at a more reasonable cost to the federal government.”

The legislation also acknowledges the full spectrum of professional services provided in home infusion, including essential pharmacy services-into the reimbursement structure.

The 21st Century Cures Act created a professional services benefit for Medicare Part B home infusion drugs, but infusion stakeholders say CMS did not follow Congress's intent by requiring the nurse to be in the home.

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