Buchanan’s Bipartisan Bills Expand Medicare Home Infusion Therapy Benefit, Improve Digital Reporting
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Vern Buchanan, Vice Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and Chair of the Health Subcommittee, released the following statement after the House Energy and Commerce Committee Health Subcommittee hearing entitled “Legislative Proposals to Support Patient Access to Medicare Services.”
During the hearing, members and witnesses discussed legislation focused on expanding access to care for seniors, including Buchanan’s Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act (H.R. 2172) and Health Care Efficiency Through Flexibility Act (H.R. 5347).
“I want to thank Chairman Guthrie and Health Subcommittee Chairman Griffith for holding today’s important hearing and for highlighting two of my bills that will improve access and efficiency for Medicare patients. My Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act will ensure that seniors can continue receiving life-saving treatments safely and conveniently at home by modernizing outdated regulations and supporting providers who deliver these services. Likewise, my Healthcare Through Flexibility Act offers a commonsense path forward to ease the burden of new reporting mandates on value-based Medicare providers, while still promoting quality care and innovation.
“Nearly 200,000 seniors in my district rely on accessible, affordable health care, and these bills will protect the services they depend on. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get these bipartisan initiatives signed into law.”
The Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act (H.R. 2172) would ensure patients receive the intravenous (IV) medications they need while at home. Buchanan’s legislation provides technical clarifications that will remove the physical presence requirement for providers, ensuring payment regardless of whether a health care professional is present in the patient’s home. The legislation also acknowledges the full scope of professional services provided in home infusion—including essential pharmacist services—into the reimbursement structure.
The Health Care Efficiency Through Flexibility Act (H.R. 5347) eases implementation of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) regulation requiring Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), groups of healthcare providers who offer value-based, quality care to Medicare recipients, transition to electronic Clinical Quality Measures (eCQMs).
In addition to being the Vice Chairman and most senior Republican on the powerful U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, Buchanan is also the Chairman of the Health Subcommittee, which has broad jurisdiction over traditional Medicare, the Medicare prescription drug benefit program and Medicare Advantage.
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