A new report built on three years’ worth of claims data has been published by the National Home Infusion Association (NHIA).
Infusion Industry Trends is “the latest assessment of the home and alternate site infusion industry’s market position” and also “provides insight into emerging market dynamics, operations pressures and strategic opportunities.”
The new report covers five categories of care — anti-infectives, home enteral nutrition, parenteral nutrition, specialty infusion, and immune globulin — and uses data “to draw out the differences in reimbursement between commercial payors and Medicare, and highlights the areas in which Medicare coverage is fragmented and incomplete.”
One section of the report focuses on Medicare’s home infusion benefit and why its lack of comprehensive coverage “results in reduced provider participation, ultimately impeding beneficiary access to care” — a topic that NHIA President/CEO Connie Sullivan addressed during a Jan. 8 Energy and Commerce health subcommittee meeting. During the meeting, Sullivan fielded questions from members of Congress and advocated for H.R. 2172, the Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act.
“Home and alternate site infusion continues to demonstrate resilience and adaptability amid the evolving demands of care delivery,” Sullivan said in the announcement of the new report. “With a growing pipeline of complex infused therapies and continued emphasis on value, home infusion is playing a more central role in improving access, quality, and system efficiency. At the same time, the report findings underscore meaningful opportunities to better align policy with the realities of modern infusion care — particularly with Medicare.”
NHIA said its members and industry participants would benefit from how the report “details how providers are responding to an increasingly complex health care landscape while offering a clear view of where the industry is headed.”
For policy makers and funding sources, “the report reinforces the role of home infusion as a high-value site of care and a critical component of the future of health care delivery.”
“As more therapies become appropriate for home administration, thoughtful policy updates are needed to unlock substantial opportunities for beneficiary access,” Sullivan said. “The report demonstrates the current capabilities of home and alternate site providers and lays the foundation for future opportunities that can benefit patients and improve health care delivery at the same time.”
Access to the report is free for NHIA members. Non-members can purchase the report on the NHIA website.
