CMS has announced a new “Medicare Intravenous Immune Globulin (IVIG) Demonstration” that will evaluate the potential benefits of providing payment for items and services needed for in-home administration of IVIG for the treatment of primary immune deficiency disease (PIDD). Under this demonstration, which will last three years, Medicare will provide a bundled Part B payment for items and services that are necessary to administer IVIG in the home to enrolled beneficiaries who are not otherwise homebound and receiving home health care benefits. The demonstration only applies to situations where the beneficiary requires IVIG for the treatment of PIDD, or is currently receiving subcutaneous immune globulin to treat PIDD and wants to switch to IVIG. The demonstration is limited to 4,000 Medicare beneficiaries nationwide, and the statute authorizes up to $45 million to pay for services and administrative costs. Beneficiaries who want to participate in the demonstration must submit an application signed by the beneficiary and his or her physician and meet specified eligibility requirements. The initial enrollment period ends on September 12, 2014; applications received after that date will be considered on a space-available basis only. Services will be covered under the demonstration beginning October 1, 2014.
