FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, January 16, 2009

Lincoln, Snowe, Isakson Bill Calls For Full Medicare Coverage Of Home Infusion Therapy

Washington – U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) this week introduced legislation calling for full Medicare coverage of professional home infusion therapy.

“Many Americans on Medicare who need home infusion therapy are simply unable to afford it. As a result, they often have to enter a hospital or nursing home for the infusion treatment to be fully covered by Medicare. Not only is this an extreme hardship for the patient, it actually results in a higher cost to Medicare. This legislation would provide for full Medicare coverage of home infusion therapy, ultimately lowering costs and improving patient outcomes,” said Lincoln.

“Unnecessary institutional treatment simply makes no sense when patients can be treated in the comfort of their home – and at lower cost to Medicare,” Snowe said. “By extending coverage of infusion therapy to the home, we will correct this unintended and wasteful gap in Medicare coverage while taking a significant step toward achieving high quality, low cost health care that is fittingly focused on the patient.”

“Home infusion provides patients the ability to leave the hospital setting while still receiving the appropriate treatment to ensure their full recovery. This is good for the patient and good for Medicare’s bottom line,” Isakson said.

Infusion therapy is the administration of medications into the bloodstream via needle or catheter. Currently, Medicare covers home infusion medication, but not the specialized equipment, supplies and professional services to ensure safe and effective treatment.

Known as the “Medicare Home Infusion Therapy Coverage Act” (S.254), the legislation also requires the creation of quality standards to ensure the safe and effective provision of home infusion therapy.

An identical bill (H.R. 574) was introduced in the House by Representatives Eliot Engel (D-NY), Tim Murphy (R-PA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Kay Granger (R-TX).

Supporters of the legislation include the National Home Infusion Association, American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, the American Case Management Association, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and many others.