,,iv  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,h4 ,,con4 ,,res4 #fc  ,,in ,,the       
,,house ,,of ,,representatives          
,september #ah1 #bjai,mr4 ,engel        
submitted the following concurrent      
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1 and
 in addition to the ,committee on ,ways 
and ,means1 for a period to be          
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,,concurrent ,,resolution  ,expressing  
the sense of ,congress that the ,centers
 for ,medicare  ,medicaid ,services     
should take action to ensure that home  
infusion therapy services are accessible
 to all ,medicare beneficiaries4        
,whereas home infusion therapy services 
allow patients with congestive heart    
failure1 immunologic diseases1 cancer1  
and other conditions to remain home1    
away from the risk of hospital-acquired 
infections1 where patients can resume   

their personal and professional         
activities2 ,whereas home infusion      
therapy services are an extension of the
 health care continuum and serve as a   
safe1 convenient1 cost-effective        
alternative for patients to be          
administered infusion drugs when other  
settings are unnecessary1 impractical1  
or unavailable2 when transport outside  
the home is a burden to the patient or  
family2 or when administration of       
infusion drugs at home can improve      
quality of life2 ,whereas the           
,government ,accountability ,office     
concluded in a #bjaj report that        
providing infusion therapy at home      
generally costs less than treatment in  
other settings2 ,whereas the #bast      
,century ,cures ,act created a home     
infusion therapy services benefit1      
beginning in #bjba1 under the ,medicare 
program under title ,,xviii of the      
,social ,security ,act to ensure that   
,medicare beneficiaries continue to have
 access to home infusion therapy        

services2 ,whereas the ,bipartisan      
,budget ,act of #bjah included a        
provision to provide for temporary      
transitional payments for home infusion 
therapy services in #bjai and #bjbj1 and
 the ,congressional ,budget ,office     
projected that such provision would save
 #iaj1jjj1jjj from #bjah through #bjbb2 
,whereas ,congress intended for the     
,medicare program to provide payments   
for all home infusion therapy services  
provided in accordance with a ,medicare 
beneficiary's plan of care1 including   
pharmacy services 7including            
administrative1 compounding1 dispensing1
 distribution1 clinical monitoring1 and 
care coordination services71 nursing    
services1 and other services as required
 by the plan of care2 ,whereas such     
payments for home infusion therapy      
services were intended to be separate   
from1 and in addition to1 payments under
 the ,medicare program for durable      
medical equipment1 which cover the costs
 of equipment and supplies necessary to 

administer home infusion drugs but are  
not adequate to cover the costs of      
professional services furnished to      
administer such drugs2 ,whereas         
,congress intended for the ,medicare    
program to provide1 with respect to a   
,medicare beneficiary1 payments for each
 infusion drug administration calendar  
day of such beneficiary1 that is1 each  
day a home infusion drug physically     
enters such beneficiary's body2 ,whereas
 neither the #bast ,century ,cures ,act 
nor the ,bipartisan ,budget ,act of     
#bjah instructed the ,centers for       
,medicare  ,medicaid ,services to make  
payments only for days on which a       
skilled professional is physically      
present in a ,medicare beneficiary's    
home2 ,whereas the ,centers for         
,medicare  ,medicaid ,services has      
implemented both statutes in direct     
contradiction of the plain meaning of   
such statutes1 as well as ,congress'    
explicit intent2 and ,whereas           
clarification of ,congress' intent      

regarding the implementation of the     
#bast ,century ,cures ,act and the      
,bipartisan ,budget ,act of #bjah1      
ensuring payments for each infusion drug
 administration calendar day1 is        
necessary to protect ,medicare          
beneficiaries' access to home infusion  
therapy services3 ,now1 therefore1 be it
  ,that it is the sense of ,congress    
that the ,centers for ,medicare         
,medicaid ,services should promulgate   
regulations that define an infusion drug
 administration calendar day to mean1   
with respect to a ,medicare beneficiary1
 any day on which a home infusion drug  
physically enters such beneficiary's    
body4 ,such regulations should not limit
 the definition to days on which a      
skilled professional is physically      
present in such a beneficiary's home4