News Category: Advocacy

The National Home Infusion Association (NHIA) expressed deep concern today regarding the recently proposed government funding bill, which includes major changes to the qualifying criteria for drugs under Medicare’s home infusion benefit but fails to address the underlying flaws that have plagued the program. Without fixing the structure of the benefit, Medicare beneficiaries in need of home infusions for treatment of a variety of medical conditions, including rare diseases, are unlikely to gain access to home-based care.
An independent analysis by Magnolia Market Access estimates that changes proposed by NHIA to the Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act to expand Medicare Part B home infusion therapy services coverage to anti-infectives, and bundle payments for disposable supplies with the services payment would generate significant savings for Medicare.
A diverse 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, which brings together stakeholders from across the care continuum, the groups urge congressional leaders to advance the Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act (S. 1976/H.R. 4104) and increase access to home infusion therapy for Medicare beneficiaries.

Call for NHIA Board Member Candidates

NHIA is accepting applications for members of the association’s Board of Directors. Board members serve 3-year terms as representatives for their NHIA member organization. Seats are only open to provider members and are assigned at the organization level.

Read More »

Congressional Spending Bill Falls Short on Home Infusion

The National Home Infusion Association (NHIA) expressed deep concern today regarding the recently proposed government funding bill, which includes major changes to the qualifying criteria for drugs under Medicare’s home infusion benefit but fails to address the underlying flaws that have plagued the program. Without fixing the structure of the benefit, Medicare beneficiaries in need of home infusions for treatment of a variety of medical conditions, including rare diseases, are unlikely to gain access to home-based care.

Read More »

Melinta Joins NHIA Future of Infusion Advisory Council

The National Home Infusion Association (NHIA) and Melinta Therapeutics, LLC (Melinta), a commercial-stage company providing innovative therapies for acute and life-threatening illnesses, are pleased to announce the addition of Melinta to NHIA’s Future of Infusion Advisory Council (FIAC).

Read More »

Infusing Safety: Comparing Oncology Infusion Outcomes at Home Infusion Services vs. Hospital-Based Outpatient Infusion Centers

Full text | Download pdf

Angela Nguyen, PharmD Fairview Home Infusion | R. May O’Donnell, MS Fairview Pharmacy Services | C. Brett Benfield PharmD, MS, FNHIA Fairview Infusion Consulting Services | Marrea Peters, PharmD Fairview Home Infusion | Alicia L. Zagel, PhD, MPH Fairview Pharmacy Services

Oncology infusions are a cornerstone of cancer treatment, often administered in hospitalbased outpatient departments (HOPDs) due to the controlled environment they offer. However, with the rise of patient-centered care and cost reduction efforts, home infusion services are an increasingly viable alternative for oncology treatments, though some professional groups have concerns about safety. To address these concerns, this study compares safety outcomes of oncology infusions administered through home infusion (HI) to those administered in HOPDs.

Read More »

Comparing the Cost of Administering and Monitoring Vancomycin and Daptomycin Through a Home Infusion Pharmacy

Full text | Download pdf

Katherine Yang, PharmD, BCPS | Wendy Morimoto, PharmD | Kristina Wong, PharmD | Mehrnaz Zahiri, PharmD | Meredith Silverman, MD

This study evaluates the cost differences between administering and monitoring vancomycin and daptomycin in a home infusion pharmacy (HIP) setting. Both antibiotics are widely used for treating methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other gram-positive infections in outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT), but vancomycin requires more intensive therapeutic monitoring than daptomycin. The study aims to quantify pharmacist time spent monitoring patients, lab costs, and overall drug administration costs associated with each therapy in a HIP serving 16 medical centers in Northern California.

Read More »

Patient, Stakeholder Groups Urge Congress to Address Medicare’s Failed Home Infusion Benefit

A diverse 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, which brings together stakeholders from across the care continuum, the groups urge congressional leaders to advance the Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act (S. 1976/H.R. 4104) and increase access to home infusion therapy for Medicare beneficiaries.

Read More »

NHIA Launches Grassroots Letter Writing Campaign in Support of the Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act

Momentum has been building for legislators to address Medicare’s broken home infusion benefit as part of a year-end legislative package. After considerable engagement from NHIA, the groundwork has been laid for Congress to pass the Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act (H.R. 4104; S. 1976) and enhance access to home infusion services for Medicare beneficiaries nationwide.

Read More »

A Multi-Center Time Study of Home Infusion Pharmacist Professional Services for Specialty Infusion Medications

Full text | Download pdf

Michelle C. Simpson, PharmD, BCSCP, MWC | David Vermeulen, PharmD, MS | Danell Haines, PhD

Specialty infusion and injection medications are key growth areas in home infusion services. According to the National Home Infusion Association (NHIA), over 315,000 specialty patients were served by home infusion pharmacies in 2019, with specialty infusions consistently representing approximately 10% of total patients. Despite the well-documented positive impact of specialty pharmacists on clinical and non-clinical patient outcomes, there is a lack of data on the specific tasks and time that pharmacists dedicate to furnishing specialty medications in home infusion settings. This study aims to fill this gap by quantifying the
time spent and categorizing tasks performed by home infusion pharmacists caring for patients receiving specialty medications.

Read More »

Neighborly Tip Leads to Better Treatment Option

After years playing Rugby at the international level, Lyons, Colorado-based artist Sonny Smith went through several surgeries and eventually total replacement of both knees. But, post-surgery, the left knee experienced persistent infection. Sonny has received antibiotic infusions across every major site of care and favors home infusion.

Read More »

NHIA Releases List of Home Infusion Medications

The National Home Infusion Association (NHIA) has developed a list of medications to serve as a reference when making site of care decisions for patients requiring intravenous (IV) or subcutaneous (SC) infusions. The list of medications reflects current U.S. prescribing practices and was compiled from home infusion providers medication dispensing reports and reviewed by NHIA’s Quality and Standards Committee.

Read More »

Home Infusion Patient Satisfaction at an All-Time High

In 2017, the National Home Infusion Foundation (NHIF) took the lead in developing the validated and standardized Uniform Patient Satisfaction Survey for Home Infusion Providers. While satisfaction scores have been stellar across 5 years of survey data from more than 43,000 patients, patient satisfaction with home infusion services reached an all-time high in 2023.

Read More »

A Descriptive Study of Vascular Access Devices Among Adult and Pediatric Home Infusion Patients

Full text | Download pdf

Barbara McElroy, MSN, CRNI®, VA-BC™ Infusion Nursing Consultant | Danell Haines, PhD Research Consultant | Jennifer Charron RN, MSN, MBA National Home Infusion Association

The Infusion Nurses Society recommends selecting the optimal vascular access device (VAD) for the therapy plan. These recommendations are primarily driven to identify peripheral vs. central vascular access based on infusate properties, the frequency and duration of infusions, unique patient features, and resources available. The objectives of this study are to describe the utilization of VADs in the home infusion setting and identify trends in specific medication treatments and patient populations.

Read More »

Call for NHIA Board Member Candidates

NHIA is accepting applications for members of the association’s Board of Directors. Board members serve 3-year terms as representatives for their NHIA member organization. Seats are only open to provider members and are assigned at the organization level.

Read More »

Congressional Spending Bill Falls Short on Home Infusion

The National Home Infusion Association (NHIA) expressed deep concern today regarding the recently proposed government funding bill, which includes major changes to the qualifying criteria for drugs under Medicare’s home infusion benefit but fails to address the underlying flaws that have plagued the program. Without fixing the structure of the benefit, Medicare beneficiaries in need of home infusions for treatment of a variety of medical conditions, including rare diseases, are unlikely to gain access to home-based care.

Read More »

Melinta Joins NHIA Future of Infusion Advisory Council

The National Home Infusion Association (NHIA) and Melinta Therapeutics, LLC (Melinta), a commercial-stage company providing innovative therapies for acute and life-threatening illnesses, are pleased to announce the addition of Melinta to NHIA’s Future of Infusion Advisory Council (FIAC).

Read More »

Infusing Safety: Comparing Oncology Infusion Outcomes at Home Infusion Services vs. Hospital-Based Outpatient Infusion Centers

Full text | Download pdf

Angela Nguyen, PharmD Fairview Home Infusion | R. May O’Donnell, MS Fairview Pharmacy Services | C. Brett Benfield PharmD, MS, FNHIA Fairview Infusion Consulting Services | Marrea Peters, PharmD Fairview Home Infusion | Alicia L. Zagel, PhD, MPH Fairview Pharmacy Services

Oncology infusions are a cornerstone of cancer treatment, often administered in hospitalbased outpatient departments (HOPDs) due to the controlled environment they offer. However, with the rise of patient-centered care and cost reduction efforts, home infusion services are an increasingly viable alternative for oncology treatments, though some professional groups have concerns about safety. To address these concerns, this study compares safety outcomes of oncology infusions administered through home infusion (HI) to those administered in HOPDs.

Read More »

Comparing the Cost of Administering and Monitoring Vancomycin and Daptomycin Through a Home Infusion Pharmacy

Full text | Download pdf

Katherine Yang, PharmD, BCPS | Wendy Morimoto, PharmD | Kristina Wong, PharmD | Mehrnaz Zahiri, PharmD | Meredith Silverman, MD

This study evaluates the cost differences between administering and monitoring vancomycin and daptomycin in a home infusion pharmacy (HIP) setting. Both antibiotics are widely used for treating methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other gram-positive infections in outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT), but vancomycin requires more intensive therapeutic monitoring than daptomycin. The study aims to quantify pharmacist time spent monitoring patients, lab costs, and overall drug administration costs associated with each therapy in a HIP serving 16 medical centers in Northern California.

Read More »

Patient, Stakeholder Groups Urge Congress to Address Medicare’s Failed Home Infusion Benefit

A diverse 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, which brings together stakeholders from across the care continuum, the groups urge congressional leaders to advance the Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act (S. 1976/H.R. 4104) and increase access to home infusion therapy for Medicare beneficiaries.

Read More »

NHIA Launches Grassroots Letter Writing Campaign in Support of the Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act

Momentum has been building for legislators to address Medicare’s broken home infusion benefit as part of a year-end legislative package. After considerable engagement from NHIA, the groundwork has been laid for Congress to pass the Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act (H.R. 4104; S. 1976) and enhance access to home infusion services for Medicare beneficiaries nationwide.

Read More »

A Multi-Center Time Study of Home Infusion Pharmacist Professional Services for Specialty Infusion Medications

Full text | Download pdf

Michelle C. Simpson, PharmD, BCSCP, MWC | David Vermeulen, PharmD, MS | Danell Haines, PhD

Specialty infusion and injection medications are key growth areas in home infusion services. According to the National Home Infusion Association (NHIA), over 315,000 specialty patients were served by home infusion pharmacies in 2019, with specialty infusions consistently representing approximately 10% of total patients. Despite the well-documented positive impact of specialty pharmacists on clinical and non-clinical patient outcomes, there is a lack of data on the specific tasks and time that pharmacists dedicate to furnishing specialty medications in home infusion settings. This study aims to fill this gap by quantifying the
time spent and categorizing tasks performed by home infusion pharmacists caring for patients receiving specialty medications.

Read More »

Neighborly Tip Leads to Better Treatment Option

After years playing Rugby at the international level, Lyons, Colorado-based artist Sonny Smith went through several surgeries and eventually total replacement of both knees. But, post-surgery, the left knee experienced persistent infection. Sonny has received antibiotic infusions across every major site of care and favors home infusion.

Read More »

NHIA Releases List of Home Infusion Medications

The National Home Infusion Association (NHIA) has developed a list of medications to serve as a reference when making site of care decisions for patients requiring intravenous (IV) or subcutaneous (SC) infusions. The list of medications reflects current U.S. prescribing practices and was compiled from home infusion providers medication dispensing reports and reviewed by NHIA’s Quality and Standards Committee.

Read More »

Home Infusion Patient Satisfaction at an All-Time High

In 2017, the National Home Infusion Foundation (NHIF) took the lead in developing the validated and standardized Uniform Patient Satisfaction Survey for Home Infusion Providers. While satisfaction scores have been stellar across 5 years of survey data from more than 43,000 patients, patient satisfaction with home infusion services reached an all-time high in 2023.

Read More »

A Descriptive Study of Vascular Access Devices Among Adult and Pediatric Home Infusion Patients

Full text | Download pdf

Barbara McElroy, MSN, CRNI®, VA-BC™ Infusion Nursing Consultant | Danell Haines, PhD Research Consultant | Jennifer Charron RN, MSN, MBA National Home Infusion Association

The Infusion Nurses Society recommends selecting the optimal vascular access device (VAD) for the therapy plan. These recommendations are primarily driven to identify peripheral vs. central vascular access based on infusate properties, the frequency and duration of infusions, unique patient features, and resources available. The objectives of this study are to describe the utilization of VADs in the home infusion setting and identify trends in specific medication treatments and patient populations.

Read More »