Medicare expands home infusion therapy, opens door to nurse practitioners
H.R. 2172 — Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act · Filed by Vern Buchanan (R-FL) · 29 cosponsors · Introduced Mar 18, 2025 · Referred to committee
Your members of Congress
Enter a ZIP to see where your representative and both senators stood on this bill.
Looked up on this device — your ZIP is never stored on our servers.
What it does
This bill expands Medicare coverage for home infusion therapy by adding pharmacy services to the list of covered items, allowing nurse practitioners and physician assistants (not just doctors) to establish and oversee treatment plans, extending coverage to non-pump drugs like antibiotics and antivirals, and adjusting payment rates. Starting January 1, 2026, Medicare will pay for infusion therapy even when a supplier is not physically present in the home (at 50% of the normal rate), and will cover pharmacy preparation and coordination services alongside nursing care.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core function is to broaden Medicare reimbursement for home infusion therapy services, add eligible providers, and extend coverage to new drug categories. This is a straightforward healthcare access expansion, not a tax provision, deregulation, or narrow carve-out.
What the text implies
- The 50% payment reduction for remote administration (when supplier not physically present) may incentivize in-home visits even when clinically unnecessary, potentially increasing costs and patient burden.
- Expansion to non-pump drugs (antibiotics, antivirals) significantly broadens the addressable market for home infusion suppliers; financial beneficiaries may include home health agencies and specialty pharmacy companies.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
home infusion therapy suppliers; specialty pharmacy companies; home health agencies