Soleo Health adds voice to home infusion fix

MCKINNEY, Texas - Home infusion provider Soleo Health says it remains committed to taking care of patients while it waits for Congress to fix a “payment gap,” but it can't wait four years.

“There's no question there's been a big financial impact,” said Drew Walk, CEO of Soleo Health, which recently released a white paper detailing the impact on patients of changes to the benefit in the 21^st Century Cures Act. “We've had to make changes to our cost structure.”

Per a provision in the Cures Act, Medicare pays for Part B infusion drugs under an average sales price model, a move that reduces payments so drastically that, essentially, they no longer cover services. Another provision in the act provides payments for these services, but not until 2021.

While the Cures Act worsens an existing problem—stakeholders have spoken to CMS for many years about the need to pay for not only home infusion drugs but also services—Walk says it also provides opportunity.

“The good thing about the Cures Act is it creates the mechanism for CMS to create a reimbursement for services,” he said. “The problem is they have until 2021.”

Stakeholders have wasted no time in pushing back against the Cures Act. Led by the National Home Infusion Association, they have sent a letter to lawmakers, urging them to take quick action and fix the payment gap; and led by Option Care, they have launched the Keep My Infusion Care at Home coalition, which Soleo Health recently joined.

“There are a number of us in the infusion business that are trying to work together to make sure the message is clear,” said Walk, who was on Capitol Hill last week lobbying for a fix. “We are seeing positive signs from Congress. I think they'll make the right decision.”