Medicare Ivig Access and Strengthening Medicare and Repaying Taxpayers Act of 2012

Floor Speech

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1845, a combination of two common-sense Medicare reforms that would improve access to intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) home infusion for beneficiaries with primary immunodeficiency diseases while streamlining the process for repayments to the Medicare Trust Fund.

While the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 sought to ensure that patients needing IVIG therapy could receive their infusions at home, the current policy does not cover the items and services necessary for providers to administer it in the home. As a result, access to home infusion is limited and seniors who rely solely on Medicare have no choice but to receive their treatments in the hospital, a more risky environment for immune deficient patients. The Medicare IVIG Access Act would create a three-year demonstration project that would study coverage of the items and services needed to administer IVIG home infusion.

This legislation is fiscally responsible, paid for through the inclusion of the Strengthening Medicare and Repaying Taxpayers (SMART) Act. The SMART Act would sensibly reform the Medicare Secondary Payer system, increasing the likelihood of and speed up reimbursements to the Medicare Trust Fund. This is a win-win--beneficiaries and companies will be able to resolve their claims faster and the Trust Fund will be strengthened through a more efficient repayment process.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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