IPA is the leading voice for in-office and freestanding infusion providers, representing over 1,000 facilities in 43 states, Our mission is to serve as a thought leader and educate on issues critical to safeguarding, supporting and strengthening provider directed, patient-focused access to infusion services. Which is why we have provided legislative recommendations to the Republican Heathy Future Task Force.
Last summer the Republican leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives established the House Republican Healthy Futures Taskforce to “build on Republican health policy successes and craft a patient-focused agenda for the future.” IPA joined several allied provider groups in making these recommendations on narrowing site-of-care costs differentials, deterring vertical integration of physician practices, improving competition between outpatient providers and large hospital systems, and reducing patient out-of-pocket exposure in the physician office or ambulatory infusion setting for Part B drugs.
IPA also delivered these recommendations to make changes to the Medicare program that would 1) create a safe harbor from the anti-kickback statute to permit Part B drug manufacturers to provide cost-sharing assistance to Medicare patients; and 2) provide a statutory cap for Part B drugs equal to the hospital inpatient deductible ($1,484).
There is no single remedy to reducing cost and encouraging more competition in the provider sector, but government can take important, targeted steps to ensure patient access and viability for multiple sites of care. The Medicare program and its tens of millions of Medicare beneficiaries will benefit from thoughtful changes and improvements to the system by increasing access to more affordable health care. We stand ready to work with Congress on these ideas.