The American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) is launching a research project “to quantify the differences in outcomes and overall treatment costs for patients with significant respiratory challenges who receive noninvasive ventilation (NIV) therapy versus patients who do not utilize NIV.”
In a July 10 announcement, the association added, “The research is designed to determine the benefits of this therapy using CMS’s [Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services] own data, potentially providing authoritative data to underpin advocacy to strengthen patient access to NIV.”
“This important effort stems from discussions at last year’s board strategic planning session on how we can limit delays and denials for patients who can benefit from NIV,” said Tom Ryan, AAHomecare’s president and CEO. “Our leaders believe this is an area where credible data on outcomes and overall costs will make a strong impression on policymakers and payers.”
David Chandler, vice president of payer relations for AAHomecare, added that the NIV project “is motivated by access to care concerns with some Medicare Advantage plans’ restrictive coverage policies.”
A cohort study of patients with COPD or CRF
The research will comprise two cohort studies — one of Medicare fee-for-service and the second of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries — who were diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and/or chronic respiratory failure (CRF). The study will “compare outcomes of those beneficiaries with COPD and/or CRF who were put onto NIV within two months of diagnosis versus those who were not,” the AAHomecare announcement said. “The study will also compare fee-for-service against Medicare Advantage findings to determine any differences in utilization and outcomes.”
AAHomecare said Dobson Davanzo & Associates, a health-care economics and policy consulting firm based in the Washington, D.C., area, will conduct the research and analysis.
Last October, AAHomecare partnered with the ALS Association to discuss concerns that Medicare Advantage plans were restricting coverage of NIV devices for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
