Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- 1. What is infusion therapy?
- 2. Why are Infusions Performed at Home?
- 3. What are the primary I.V. therapies administered at home?
- 4. Does Medicare cover home infusion?
- 5. What do these medical terms mean?
1. What is infusion therapy?
Home infusion therapy involves the administration of medications using intravenous, subcutaneous, and epidural routes (into the bloodstream, under the skin, and into the membranes surrounding the spinal cord).
Drug therapies commonly administered via infusion include antibiotics, chemotherapy, pain management, parenteral nutrition, and immune globulin. Diagnoses commonly requiring infusion therapy include infections that are unresponsive to oral antibiotics; cancer and cancer-related pain; gastrointestinal diseases or disorders which prevent normal functioning of the GI system; congestive heart failure; immune disorders; growth hormone deficiencies; and more.
( top )
2. Why are Infusions Performed at Home?
Until the 1980s, patients needing infusion therapy had no option but to remain in an inpatient setting until the completion of their therapy. With the heightened emphasis on cost-effectiveness and cost-containment in health care, clinicians began to search for strategies to eliminate or reduce these costly inpatient stays. For individuals requiring long-term therapy (such as those requiring lifelong intravenous nutrition support) inpatient care is not only tremendously expensive, but also prevents the individual from resuming normal lifestyle and work activities.
Home infusion has been proven to be a safe and effective alternative to inpatient care for many disease states and therapies. For most patients, receiving treatment at home or in an outpatient clinic setting is preferable to inpatient care. A thorough patient assessment and home assessment are performed before initiating infusion therapy at home to ensure that the patient is an appropriate candidate for home care.
( top )
3. What are the primary I.V. therapies administered at home?
By far, the major home I.V. therapies are I.V. antibiotics, prescribed primarily for such diagnoses as cellulitis, sepsis, and osteomyelitis; other diagnoses include urinary tract infections, pneumonia, sexually transmitted diseases, and sinusitis.
Other major home I.V. therapies include total parenteral nutrition, chemotherapy, pain management, enteral nutrition, IV immune globulin, dobutamine, growth hormone, and other therapies.
( top )
4. Does Medicare cover home infusion?
Some Home Infusion services are covered by Medicare Part B and / or Part D. Coverage will depend on a number of factors. Please contact our reimbursment office for answers to your specific situation. 800-290-6558.
( top )
5. What do these medical terms mean?
Please refer to the National Home Infusion Association's (NHIA) glossary of infusion therapy terms.
( top )