Payers have been struggling for years to move infusion site of care services out of higher cost hospital outpatient administration to alternate sites….. community physician offices or stand-alone infusion clinics. There is no debate that every patient so moved saves significant dollars with no loss in quality of care and, very often, greater patient convenience. That’s a Win-Win.
So, just like an improvement over sliced bread, AscellaHealth has come up with a bright idea….. create a network of non-hospital infusion providers that allows insurers to more readily push members into the lower cost network sites. It takes the PBM concept and significantly expands its functionality.
It will be interesting to see how benefit design can be crafted to fully complement utilizing the network. Assuming it gains traction, it could be a great model for the future.
Ascellahealth Makes Case For Alternate Sites
HME News Staff
February 8, 2022 — BERWYN, Pa. – AscellaHealth has released a white paper that details the value of site of care (SOC) optimization for infusion therapies, a leading strategy for reducing the cost of specialty biologic medications, improving outcomes and enhancing access to more convenient, quality focused settings.
“Recognizing the importance of SOC optimization, AscellaHealth offers a Home Infusion Pharmacy Network as part of our overall strategy to cut costs without compromising quality of care,” says Dea Belazi, president and CEO, AscellaHealth. “Our pharmacy providers were chosen for their national reach, high-touch capabilities and thorough home infusion expertise, enabling care delivery in the highest-quality, lowest-cost care settings and enhancing outcomes via increased compliance rates.”
In the four-page paper, “Site of Care Optimization Lowers Specialty Drug Costs, Reduces Hospital Visits, Ensures Care Quality,” AscellaHealth makes the case that the exact same medications, administered using the same method, can be more than two- to three-times more expensive in the hospital setting vs. a standalone infusion center.
“Insurance companies, self-funded companies and other stakeholders will find significant value in applying a high level of expertise to the management of these specialty drugs by working with AscellaHealth and its partners in SOC optimization,” Belazi said. “Flexibility of alternate sites also contributes to a higher quality of life by improving patient access to care, reducing time away from work or school, and offering a degree of independence to patients living under otherwise rigid medical parameters.”
