In brief: Stakeholders push infusion bill, Aeroflow partners with virtual doc group & more 

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A 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, the groups urge congressional leaders to advance the Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act (S. 1976/H.R. 4104), which would include pharmacy services as part of the home infusion therapy benefit under Medicare and cover everything from assessments to drug preparation and compounding to care coordination and documentation. The bills would also direct CMS to pay 50% of the nursing rate on days when home infusion is provided, even when a nurse is not present. 

“Home infusion improves patient outcomes, prevents unnecessary hospital and long-term care stays, and leads to substantial efficiencies for both patients and the Medicare program,” said Connie Sullivan, BSPharm, president & CEO of the National Home Infusion Association. “By aligning Medicare policy with the successful models already in use by commercial insurers we can expand home infusion access to those who need it most – America’s seniors and those living with disabilities.” 

While Congress included provisions in the 21st Century Cures Act and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 to create a professional services benefit for Medicare Part B home infusion drugs, it improperly implemented the benefit by requiring a nurse to be physically present in the patient's home for providers to be reimbursed, says NCPA. 

If implemented, the Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act would increase provider participation in the benefit and enhance patient access to home infusion, effectively diverting care to the home that would otherwise be delivered in more expensive institutional settings, the groups say. 

“Medicare beneficiaries with chronic conditions such as dysautonomia are often unable to access home infusion services, leaving them without essential treatments that help manage their disease. For these individuals, the physical toll of traveling to outpatient infusion clinics is often too great, leading to poorly managed symptoms and, ultimately, more emergency room visits,” said Lauren Stiles, JD, president & CEO of Dysautonomia International. “Congress has the opportunity to address this urgent need by passing the Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act, ensuring that Medicare beneficiaries can receive critical care in the comfort of their homes and avoid unnecessary hospitalizations.” 

Aeroflow applauds Wisconsin coverage expansion 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Aeroflow Health is celebrating ForwardHealth Wisconsin’s newly announced Expanded Breast Pump Coverage Policy giving Wisconsin Medicaid and Medicaid Managed Care’s more than 1 million subscribers increased access to vital services such as breast pumps. The revised policy now includes coverage for any members if they are in the third trimester of pregnancy or have given birth; have indicated they intend to feed or are currently feeding their infant human milk; and are capable of being trained to use the breast pump, as indicated by the provider. “Aeroflow applauds MAMES’s WI Insurance Committee and WI Medicaid for broadening access to such a critical product, directly addressing a barrier that often disproportionately impacts those who need it most,” said Ryan Bullock, CSO at Aeroflow Health. “Breast pumps are often categorized as a DME benefit, meaning they are required to meet a qualification of being a medical necessity, which pregnancy is surprisingly and unfortunately not included in. Through its policy update, the vulnerable population of WI Medicaid members that previously lacked access to such products, are now well positioned to receive them prior to childbirth. Aeroflow remains committed to this vision in Wisconsin as well as the rest of the country.” The new policy is a result of several years of collaborative lobbying efforts between MAMES, DME/HME providers, including Aeroflow Health, and policy makers who critically understand the importance of access to breast pumps prior to childbirth.  

RESNA accepting papers 

ARLINGTON, Va. – RESNA is accepting scientific papers and student scientific papers for its conference, May 13 - 15, 2025, as part of RehabWeek 2025 Chicago. RESNA accepts papers focused on education, service provision, research, practice and public policy. Accepted papers will be assigned to either a 15-minute platform session or an interactive poster session. In 2025, scientific posters will be eligible to compete in RehabWeek's "Poster Fast Forward" competition for prizes. Scientific papers will be published in the RESNA proceedings online, and abstracts will be published in an issue of RESNA's scientific journal, Assistive Technology. For more information, including submission instructions and topics, see the Call for Student Scientific Papers webpage. The deadline for submission is Nov. 30, 2024, for scientific papers and Dec. 11 for student scientific papers. 

• Related: RESNA is taking advantage of RehabWeek’s return to North America to co-locate its own conference at the event.   

Trella Health launches commercial payer data 

ATLANTA – Trella Health has launched its Commercial Payer Rates Data solution designed to give organizations unmatched insights into commercial payer rates across the United States. With visibility into the rates of more than 10,000 insurance plans, covering more than 3.5 million health care providers and organizations, this dataset helps HME and infusion organizations better understand market and competitive rates, negotiate stronger contracts, uncover new payer opportunities and optimize revenue potential. Since January 2024, the enforcement of the Health Plan Price Transparency Act has required payers to provide pricing for all covered items, services and drugs. However, the raw format and large volume of these files can make extracting actionable insights challenging without significant time and resources. "Despite the public availability of this information, the way in which this data is published and the sheer size of the files makes it extremely difficult to access and aggregate," said Tyler Rardin, general manager, HME, infusion, specialty pharmacy at Trella Health. "Our commercial negotiated payer rates data simplifies this process, presenting insights in a digestible format, empowering our customers to analyze and leverage the data for strategic growth." 

OMRON receives OK from FDA 

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. – OMRON Healthcare has received de novo authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market new home blood pressure monitors featuring AI-powered atrial fibrillation detection. OMRON's novel machine learning IntelliSense AFib algorithm automatically analyzes the pressure pulse wave generated during blood pressure measurement to detect AFib, a leading cause of stroke. "OMRON Healthcare is making AFib screening a more integral part of our blood pressure monitoring experience as part of our Going for Zero mission to eliminate heart attack and stroke," said OMRON Healthcare President and CEO Ranndy Kellogg. "AFib is a serious condition that is under-discussed, under-checked and underdiagnosed. We want to change that." AFib is the most common type of heart arrythmia. Left untreated, it increases risk of stroke, heart failure, myocardial infarction, chronic kidney disease and dementia.  

HealthTap, Aeroflow Health partner 

SUNNYVALE, Calif. & ASHEVILLE, N.C. – HealthTap, a leading virtual health care provider delivering affordable, high-quality primary care, has entered the DME market with its first partner, Aeroflow Health. The move will position HealthTap to help more patients seamlessly access primary care and DME services. "Just like accessing medications or lab services, accessing DME is a central component of ensuring patients receive comprehensive, ongoing care,” said HealthTap Co-founder and CEO Sean Mehra. “However, for the tens of millions of Americans that rely on durable medical equipment each year, those without a PCP may experience disruptions in their care that can lead to downstream health complications. Our mission has always been to bring affordable, high-quality primary care to every American, and our partnership with Aeroflow enhances this commitment by allowing us to reach more patients in a critical market segment.” HealthTap’s proprietary virtual care platform supports ongoing patient relationships by enabling individuals to connect with a dedicated primary care physician. Patients can access same-day or same-week appointments, and for those without a PCP, the platform makes it easy to establish a long-term care relationship. As a result of the partnership, Aeroflow customers who don’t have an established PCP can now also conveniently connect with a licensed HealthTap physician in the HealthTap medical group to address their health needs, including DME-related consultations. “As the demand for DME continues to grow, we are excited to collaborate with HealthTap to provide patients with enhanced access to health care services,” said Casey Hite, CEO of Aeroflow Health. “This partnership reflects our shared commitment to improving health outcomes through accessible, integrated care solutions.” 

BOC launces long-term pharmacy credential 

OWINGS MILLS, Md. – The Board of Certification/Accreditation (BOC) has partnered with the Long-Term Care at Home Pharmacy Quality Commission (LTC@HQC) to launch a new accreditation product for pharmacies, LTC@Home Pharmacy Accreditation. The accreditation validates the quality standards established by LTC@HQC and supports pharmacies in delivering high-quality, patient-centered care for individuals with long-term health care needs who qualify to receive care in their homes. “By 2030, the entire baby boomer generation will be 65 or older, with many over 85 years old," said Lindsay Dymowski Constantino, founder & president of LTC@HQC. "We are proud to join forces with BOC on this initiative and are inspired by their leadership as the first AO to embrace this new accreditation. This milestone helps us set the stage for our nation's aging population to receive exceptional long-term care in the comfort of their own homes.” LTC@HQC developed standards emphasizing a holistic approach in long-term care services, such as medication management and specialized care coordination. "This partnership with the Long-Term Care at Home Pharmacy Quality Commission represents an innovative approach to the provision of care for patients, and BOC is proud to bring our 40 years of credentialing experience forward to support this important new accreditation," said Judi Knott, president and CEO of BOC. "The LTC@Home Pharmacy Accreditation establishes the standard for pharmacies providing home-based, long-term care and validates superior service, meticulous medication management and unwavering patient support.” 

Aeroflow named ‘Great Place To Work’ 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Aeroflow Health has been certified by Great Place To Work, an organization dedicated to workplace culture, employee experience and the leadership behaviors proven to deliver market-leading revenue, employee retention and increased innovation. The recognition follows Aeroflow’s continued commitment to its employees’ parenting journeys, a healthy work-life balance and family-friendly workspaces. The company has also recently achieved the 2024 Sky High Growth Award from the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, and the Family Forward NC certificate from the North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation. “These recent certifications reinforce that our approach to maintaining a strong work/life balance and supportive work environment for Aeroflow employees is proficient,” said Casey Hite, CEO. “The fact that we have earned the Great Place to Work award during the most challenging time for our team, following Hurricane Helene, also affirms that our policies around paid-leave and wages, accommodations for pregnant and breastfeeding workers, and health and wellness benefits all meet the needs of our employees.”