Tag: Connie Sullivan
NHIA says CMS proposal sharpens rules, not benefit
August 28, 2026Tracy Orzel
WASHINGTON – CMS’s proposal to expand Medicare coverage for certain external infusion pumps and associated drugs is a step forward but stops short of addressing the biggest gap in the benefit, stakeholders say: Medicare patients who need IV antibiotics remain largely unable to access home infusion.
The proposal, included in the Calendar Year 2027 Home Health Prospective Payment System proposed rule, would extend Medicare coverage to certain infusion drugs when they require professional...
NHIA opens registration for 2026 conference
October 29, 2025HME News Staff
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Registration is now open for the National Home Infusion Association's 2026 Annual Conference April 18-22, 2026, at the Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center in Denver. NHIA 2026 will feature four days of educational content on topics selected for their relevance by industry-leading experts, drawing from more than 150 industry submissions on the most current practices and trends. "NHIA continues to elevate and evolve the conference...
Deeper dive: New infusion bill should be 'attractive’
June 2, 2025Theresa Flaherty
WASHINGTON – Home infusion stakeholders are back with a revamped bill that they say could be “a substantial saver” to Medicare and expand access for beneficiaries.
The “Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act,” introduced in March, contains many of the same provisions as previous versions of the bill, but it has three main changes, including bundling disposable supplies related to catheter administration into CMS's pharmacy per day payment, similar...
Stakeholders work on new home infusion bill
January 31, 2025Theresa Flaherty
WASHINGTON – Stakeholders, with feedback in hand from the Congressional Budget Office, are working with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to modify previous bills to improve Medicare’s home infusion benefit.
Among the potential changes in play: Folding in payment for supplies with the services payment, says Connie Sullivan, president of the National Home Infusion Association.
“That eliminates an extra payment, but it also structures the benefit more comparably...
Infusion stakeholders send new letter
November 13, 2024HME News Staff
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A group of more than 35 patient and stakeholder groups are calling on Congress to address Medicare beneficiary access to home infusion services.
In a letter to lawmakers, the groups urge congressional leaders to advance the Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act (S. 1976/H.R. 4104), which would include pharmacy services as part of the home infusion therapy benefit under Medicare and cover everything from assessments to drug preparation and compounding...
Home infusion stakeholders push new legislation to fix coverage gap
June 23, 2023Theresa Flaherty
WASHINGTON – Home infusion stakeholders believe they have a strong case for Congress passing legislation that would finally bring Medicare coverage in line with that of private insurers.
Introduced June 14 in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, “The Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act” would include pharmacy services as part of the home infusion therapy benefit under Medicare, covering everything from assessments to drug preparation and compounding...
Infusion report: No matter how you spin it, access has gone down
March 10, 2023Theresa Flaherty
WASHINGTON – A new report from CMS is an “indictment” of the agency’s current home infusion benefit, say stakeholders.
The “HIT Monitoring Report, February 2023” shows utilization has remained basically flat over a 26-month study period, despite growing Medicare enrollment, with only 1,250 beneficiaries, on average, receiving Part B home infusion services per quarter.
“We do feel like this is more evidence that CMS’s flawed policy...
Infusion stakeholders take fight back to Congress
August 20, 2021Theresa Flaherty
WASHINGTON – Stakeholders are taking another swing at fixing the home infusion benefit, with new legislation introduced and, overall, increased awareness among lawmakers of the value of providing care in the home.
The Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act, introduced Aug. 5 by Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Tim Scott, R-S.C., provides technical clarifications to remove the requirement that a nurse or other health care professional be present in the patient’s home...
Antibody pilot mobilizes home infusion providers
January 8, 2021Theresa Flaherty
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Upstate HomeCare is among the providers that recently began participating in a pilot program to get monoclonal antibody therapy to patients in skilled nursing and long-term care facilities, where COVID-19 is spreading quickly.
The pilot, part of Operation Warp Speed, is a partnership between the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Home Infusion Association. Option Care Health is...
CMS sticks to home infusion plan
July 9, 2020Theresa Flaherty
WASHINGTON - CMS's proposed home health rule for 2021 does not include any fixes to how it plans to implement its home infusion benefit. In the rule, released on June 25, the agency continues to limit reimbursement to only those days when a nurse is in the home. The National Home Infusion Association continues to assert that the policy introduces unnecessary risk for patients and health care providers when services are provided in the home to patients that rely on lifesaving infused medications....