Many Home Parenteral Nutrition Patients Denied Medicare Reimbursement Despite Receiving A.S.P.E.N. Guidelines-Driven Treatment
Option Care Study Underscores Need to Align Care and Coverage

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 9, 2017 — Many home parenteral nutrition (HPN) patients who struggle to gain or maintain weight due to complex medical conditions may be falling through the cracks due to an outdated Medicare qualification process, suggests Option Care research being presented at the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.) Clinical Nutrition Week (CNW) conference. The study determined that Medicare coverage often doesn’t match up with A.S.P.E.N. guideline recommendations, forcing patients to pay for some or all of their life-saving care.

Researchers found that more than half of HPN (intravenous) patients whose care met A.S.P.E.N. guidelines did not qualify for Medicare coverage. These findings suggest Medicare employs outdated HPN qualification criteria, including malnutrition diagnostic tools that do not reflect current recommended care.

“HPN is an expensive therapy and understandably Medicare wants to ensure that patients require that level of nutrition,” said Natalie S. Tu, RD, lead author of the study and clinical nutrition support dietitian for Option Care. “However, many malnourished patients have a clear need for HPN but don’t qualify for Medicare coverage. Care team members — including doctors and dietitians — need to diligently document the patient’s need in an attempt to secure Medicare coverage.”

In some cases, appeals providing additional documentation of need may be successful in securing coverage for patients initially denied by Medicare. Medicare patients who don’t qualify for coverage pay out of pocket costs which can be up to $250 a day and are prohibitive for many people. The average length of therapy for Option Care HPN patients is three months.[*] Option Care data on file.Patients who have supplemental insurance may be partially covered, but will be required to pay a daily deductible, which also adds up.

Currently, about 20 percent of Option Care HPN patients have Medicare. That percentage will continue to increase as the population ages, underscoring the need for better alignment of Medicare coverage with A.S.P.E.N. guidelines, Tu said.

The Option Care study was named an A.S.P.E.N. CNW Abstract of Distinction for excellence and innovation. Researchers analyzed 142 patients receiving HPN, determining 49 (35 percent) met Medicare’s HPN qualification criteria and 56 (39 percent) did not, while 37 (26 percent) did  not move forward because the qualifying process was interrupted or incomplete. Of the 56 patients who did not qualify for Medicare, 31 (55 percent) did meet A.S.P.E.N. guideline recommendations.

Patients are prescribed HPN because they cannot meet their nutrition needs orally or via a tube feeding (enteral nutrition) due to conditions such as cancer, stroke, gastrointestinal disease or surgical complications. While HPN can be administered in the hospital, about 40,000 patients annually receive their nutrition therapy safely and with less cost at home, avoiding the risk of exposure to hospital-acquired infections, returning to work and living active lives.

Option Care’s Nutrition Support Program follows a multidisciplinary team approach to care including infusion nurses, pharmacists and dietitians certified in nutrition support who work closely with physicians to provide the highest quality of care to home nutrition patients. Every Care Management Center is supported by a registered dietitian nationwide.

About Option Care
Option Care Enterprises, Inc. (Option Care) is one of the nation’s largest and most trusted providers of home and alternate treatment site infusion services. An industry leader, the company draws on nearly 40 years of clinical care experience to offer patient-centered therapy management. Option Care’s signature Home Infusion Plus services include the clinical management of infusion medicines, nursing support and care coordination. Option Care’s multidisciplinary team of more than 1,800 clinicians — including pharmacists, nurses and dietitians — are able to provide home infusion service coverage for nearly all patients across the United States needing treatment for complex and chronic conditions. Learn more at www.OptionCare.com.
# # #

Patients Often Prescribed Home Nutrition that  Doesn’t Meet Needs, Option Care Study Finds
Uncorrected Order Can Lead to Overfeeding, Underfeeding, Health Risks, Increased Costs, Suggests Research Presented at Clinical Nutrition Week

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 9, 2017 — Nutrition support orders upon discharge from the hospital often don’t meet the needs of patients, according to Option Care data being presented at the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.) Clinical Nutrition Week (CNW) conference. If nutrition support orders are not corrected, patients may be overfed or underfed, both of which put them at health risk and in the case of overfeeding, adds unnecessary costs.

Option Care researchers determined orders upon discharge from the hospital for home parenteral (intravenous) nutrition (HPN) did not meet the patients’ needs nearly one-quarter of the time. While nutrition needs were more likely to be met for home enteral (tube-fed) nutrition (HEN) patients, 38 percent of orders did not meet fluid (hydration) needs. Option Care registered dietitians reviewed all orders, performed nutritional assessments when the patients were discharged to home care and made recommended changes to the nutrition order if warranted, based on the patient’s lab values, activity level and overall medical condition.

“Nutrition support is complex and quality patient care provided in the home setting requires close collaboration between referring clinicians and a qualified home nutrition support team that has nutrition support expertise, including a registered dietitian, pharmacist and nurse,” said Noreen Luszcz, RD, MBA, CNSC, lead author of the study and nutrition program director for Option Care. “When a patient leaves the hospital, it is vital that the home infusion dietitian complete a nutrition assessment to ensure the order follows A.S.P.E.N. guidelines and the patient’s current needs are being met.”

Overfeeding can lead to metabolic problems and cause excess weight gain, as well as increasing costs by providing more nutrition than required. Underfed patients may not gain weight adequately or heal as quickly as they should.

Named an A.S.P.E.N. CNW Poster of Distinction for excellence and innovation, the research involved an analysis of nutrition orders for 187 HPN patients and 349 HEN patients
who were discharged from hospitals that did not have dedicated nutrition support teams to guide the order writing.

For the 187 Option Care HPN patients, researchers determined the original orders did not meet the patient’s needs 23 percent of the time on average. They found:

• 41 (22 percent) did not meet fluid needs;
• 48 (26 percent) did not meet amino acid (protein) needs;
• 39 (21 percent) did not meet dextrose (carbohydrate) needs;
• 34 (18 percent) did not meet lipid (fat) needs, and
• 51 (27 percent) did not meet total caloric needs.

Additionally, 24 patients (13 percent), were inappropriately prescribed HPN, when they should have received nutrition via other less costly routes such as HEN and/or oral intake. HPN should only be prescribed for patients whose gastrointestinal systems cannot adequately process nutrients. The top two prescribing physicians were internal medicine specialists (29 percent) and gastroenterologists (19 percent).

In the case of protein, patients were provided initial orders that would have led to overfeeding 48 percent of the time and underfeeding 52 percent of the time. In the remaining categories, patients were much more likely to be given initial orders that would have led to underfeeding. Researchers estimate the average amount of over-prescribed protein would result in an extra $179,837 per patient who received HPN for 90 days, the average length of time on the therapy. They determined that correcting the protein prescription in 12 percent of HPN orders alone would result in $5.2 million in saved healthcare costs.

Among the 349 Option Care HEN patients, researchers assessing the original orders determined:

• 133 (38 percent) did not include water flushing orders (so the patient would not have received enough fluid);
• 15 (4 percent) were prescribed formulas that were not the most appropriate for their condition;
• 10 (2 percent) would have been overfed; and
• 18 (5 percent) would have been underfed.

A variety of factors may lead to hospital discharge nutrition orders not meeting the patient’s needs, researchers note. They are often prescribed by physicians, who may lack specialized nutrition expertise and do not have a qualified nutrition support team — including a registered dietitian, nurse and pharmacist — to guide them. Additionally, nutritional needs change over time. A patient with an acute injury might require more protein while healing, but the need may decrease by the time the patient is discharged home. If the order isn’t adjusted, the person may receive inappropriate protein levels, which add up over time. Lastly, there is a high level of scrutiny when qualifying a patient for home nutrition support (especially with Medicare) whereas hospitals are not under that same level of review.

Option Care’s Nutrition Support Program follows a multidisciplinary team approach to care including infusion nurses, pharmacists and dietitians certified in nutrition support who work closely with physicians to provide the highest quality of care to HPN and HEN patients. Every Care Management Center is supported by a registered dietitian nationwide.

Patients are prescribed HPN or HEN because they cannot meet their nutrition needs orally due to conditions such as cancer, stroke, gastrointestinal disease or surgical complications. Both therapies can be temporarily administered in the hospital, however about 40,000 HPN patients and 344,000 HEN patients annually receive their nutrition therapy safely and with less cost at home avoiding the risk of exposure to hospital-acquired infections, returning to work and living active lives. Although some people receive these therapies short term many are on for a longer period and some lifelong.

About Option Care
Option Care Enterprises, Inc. (Option Care) is one of the nation’s largest and most trusted providers of home and alternate treatment site infusion services. An industry leader, the company draws on nearly 40 years of clinical care experience to offer patient-centered therapy management. Option Care’s signature Home Infusion Plus services include the clinical management of infusion medicines, nursing support and care coordination. Option Care’s multidisciplinary team of more than 1,800 clinicians — including pharmacists, nurses and dietitians — are able to provide home infusion service coverage for nearly all patients across the United States needing treatment for complex and chronic conditions. Learn more at www.OptionCare.com.

Calls on Congress to Fix Unintended Consequence of 21st Century Cures Act; Encourages Patients, Families, Others to Join Outreach

BANNOCKBURN, Ill., Jan. 23, 2017 — Option Care is working diligently to persuade the U.S. Congress to fix a new law that has caused vulnerable Medicare patients to lose access to home infusion care, and is encouraging those affected to join in advocacy efforts. While promising to help millions of patients via a variety of wide-ranging measures, the new 21st Century Cures Act contains provisions that unintentionally impact patients who need home infusion therapy for advanced heart failure and other conditions.

Option Care is a founding member of Keep My Infusion Care at Home, a coalition of concerned patients, family members, caregivers, healthcare providers and related organizations. The coalition is reaching out to legislators to advocate for a change to the law in order to ensure that Medicare patients have access to high quality home infusion care to support their health and sustain their quality of life.

“Undoubtedly the Cures Act will do great good, but unfortunately some of its smaller provisions have unintended negative consequences, causing disruptions to care as patients transition from hospital to home. That means many Medicare patients no longer have access to home infusion, which provides a safe, effective and typically less costly alternative to inpatient care,” said Paul Mastrapa, CEO, Option Care. “This consequence is particularly poignant for advanced heart failure patients who prefer to receive care at home, but may lose the home infusion care they rely on to sustain their quality of life.”

Many patients with complex health conditions rely on home infusion therapy, which is medication administered through a needle or catheter, and provided in the comfort of their own homes. Heart failure patients who rely on home infusion care to sustain their quality of life may lose that access, forcing them to find alternative treatment options. Hospital systems will suffer as well, as they care for these high-need patients in more costly sites of care than home infusion.

Effective Jan.1, 2017, the Cures Act includes a provision that changed the payment structure for certain infusion drugs under the Part B Durable Medical Equipment (DME) benefit. That created a dramatic reduction in reimbursement that effectively covers only the drug costs and provides no compensation for clinical services to administer the infusion therapy in the home. While a separate provision in the law does provide for clinical services payment, it does not begin until 2021.

Keep My Infusion Care at Home is urging legislators to close this four-year gap in care by aligning the implementation dates for the drug reimbursement change with the new clinical services payment.

In addition to Option Care, Keep My Infusion Care at Home sponsors include the National Home Infusion Association (NHIA) and other leading industry providers. For more information, visit KeepMyInfusionCareAtHome.org. Patients and families are encouraged to join the effort by sharing their stories showing how this law affects real patients, and writing their congressmen to encourage them to amend the law. Organizations interested in joining the coalition should email info@keepmyinfusioncareathome.org.

About Option Care
Option Care Enterprises, Inc. (Option Care) is one of the nation’s largest and most trusted providers of home and alternate treatment site infusion services. An industry leader, the company draws on nearly 40 years of clinical care experience to offer patient-centered therapy management. Option Care’s signature Home Infusion Plus services include the clinical management of infusion medicines, nursing support and care coordination. Option Care’s multidisciplinary team of more than 1,800 clinicians — including pharmacists, nurses and dietitians — are able to provide home infusion service coverage for nearly all patients across the United States needing treatment for complex and chronic conditions. Learn more at www.OptionCare.com.
# # #

BANNOCKBURN, Ill., November 29, 2016 — Option Care Enterprises, Inc., one of the nation’s leading providers of home and alternate treatment site infusion services, has been selected as a contracted provider of a new 20% formulation of subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIG) therapy for primary immunodeficiency (PI). CUVITRU™ [Immune Globulin Subcutaneous (Human), 20% Solution] is manufactured by Shire plc.

CUVITRU™ recently was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat adult and pediatric patients two years and older with PI, a group of more than 300 genetic disorders in which part of the body’s immune system is missing or functions improperly.

“Option Care has a proven track record of providing compassionate, high-quality clinical care in the home or at alternate treatment sites to patients undergoing therapy for a variety of complex conditions, including those with primary immunodeficiency,” said Lisa Betts, Vice President, Specialty Programs, Option Care. “As one of the largest national providers of immunoglobulin therapy, we are pleased to offer CUVITRU™ to support primary immunodeficiency patients as we continue to spread awareness and improve treatment options. “

Immunoglobulin (IG) is a lifelong therapy provided to prevent recurrent infections in patients with PI, which affects as many as six million people worldwide.

Option Care has a staff of more than 1,800 clinical experts, including pharmacists and more than 1,200 infusion nurses. This multidisciplinary team of specially trained clinicians provides individualized patient care plans, clinical monitoring of each infusion and comprehensive patient and caregiver education. For more information, call Option Care’s IG Specialty Center of Excellence at 1-877-974-4844 or fax 877-974-4845.

About Option Care

Option Care Enterprises, Inc. (Option Care) is one of the nation’s largest and most trusted providers of home and alternate treatment site infusion services. An industry leader, the company draws on nearly 40 years of clinical care experience to offer patient-centered therapy management. Option Care’s signature Home Infusion Plus services include the clinical management of infusion medicines, nursing support and care coordination. Option Care’s more than 1,800 clinicians — including pharmacists, nurses and dietitians — are able to provide home infusion service coverage for nearly all acute and chronic patients across the United States. Learn more at www.OptionCare.com.

###

ORLANDO, FL, July 26, 2016 — Hemophilia patients can be managed with less factor VIII without affecting outcomes and saving significant costs, suggests a study being presented at the World Federation of Hemophilia 2016 World Congress meeting today in Orlando.

The Option Care study included 77 hemophilia A patients receiving home infusion of factor VIII. They received an average of 102 units of factor VIII per week, vs. the national average of 108 units per week, translating into a cost savings of $21,165 per patient each year. The annual bleed rate (ABR) — the number of bleeds a patient experiences a year — for these patients was 1.7, less than the average ABR which ranges from 2 to 5, according to a recent review of research on hemophilia treatment strategies.

“By working with prescribers to closely monitor bleeds and collaborate on clinically appropriate optimization of treatment dose, Option Care’s utilization of factor VIII is less than the average with excellent outcomes,” said Joan Couden, national program director for Option Care’s Bleeding Disorders Program. “Our findings show we can save payers, including Medicare, Medicaid and managed care insurers, significant costs without negatively impacting annual bleed rates.”

People with hemophilia are missing blood clotting proteins that control bleeding. Treatment involves infusion of factor VIII, which helps blood clot and stops the bleeding. Many people with the condition receive factor VIII three to four times a week to prevent or reduce bleeding. Treatment success is evaluated by assessing the ABR. The fewer the bleeds, the more successful the treatment.

In addition to providing factor VIII to prevent bleeds, when bleeding does occur it’s vital to treat bleeds as quickly as possible to help reduce pain and damage to the joints, muscles and organs. When bleeding is treated quickly, less blood product is needed to stop the bleeding, Couden said.

Currently, clotting factor is paid on a per unit basis, which gives a financial incentive to provide more product, even though that doesn’t translate into better care, she said. Payers may want to consider different reimbursement strategies to reduce the incentive to dispense more factor VIII, she notes.

Patient and provider support and education are key components of Option Care’s Bleeding Disorders (BD) Home Infusion Plus program, which follows a multidisciplinary team approach to care. The program features personalized clinical care that is anchored by a dedicated BD- certified nurse and pharmacist. Each patient receives a disease-specific customized care plan that is focused solely on meeting the needs of the patient and his or her care team. Physicians and healthcare providers are provided detailed reports of each patient’s status, including location and severity of bleeding, treatment outcomes and adherence.

About Option Care

Option Care Enterprises, Inc. (Option Care) is one of the nation’s largest and most trusted providers of home and alternate treatment site infusion services. An industry leader, the company draws on nearly 40 years of clinical care experience to offer patient-centered therapy management. Option Care’s signature Home Infusion Plus services include the clinical management of infusion medicines, nursing support and care coordination. Option Care’s multidisciplinary team of more than 1,800 clinicians — including pharmacists, nurses and dietitians — are able to provide home infusion service coverage for nearly all patients across the United States needing treatment for complex and chronic conditions. Learn more at www.OptionCare.com.

# # #

BANNOCKBURN, Ill., June 2, 2016 — Option Care Enterprises, Inc., a leading national provider of home and alternate treatment site infusion therapy, has been selected by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to continue to provide home enteral (tube feeding) nutrition services to Medicare patients across the country.

Through its competitive bid process, CMS awards contracts to Medicare suppliers who meet specific quality and financial standards. Option Care has provided home enteral nutrition to Medicare patients since the launch of the CMS competitive bidding program in 2011.

“Our continued selection by CMS demonstrates that Option Care is a partner of choice because our proven track record of delivering quality care ensures successful outcomes, “ said John Rademacher, chief operating officer for Option Care. “Our high rates of patient satisfaction and safety demonstrate that we put patients at the center of our personalized, compassionate approach to care. “

The CMS competitive bidding program launched the first nine metropolitan areas in 2011, and beginning July 1, will include 117 areas. It is part of a program mandated by Congress through the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003. The competitive bidding program for certain durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS) aims to reduce out-of-pocket expenses for patients and ensure they receive quality services. It also seeks to generate cost savings for Medicare.

Option Care’s nutrition support team includes more than 1,800 clinicians and 100 dietitians nationwide and its leadership team has more than 125 years of combined experience in providing home nutrition therapy. Through its Early Intervention Home Tube Feeding program, Option Care bridges potential gaps in care by helping eliminate financial barriers, conducting individualized nutrition assessments and providing patient education before therapy even begins.

Option Care provides home enteral nutrition support, as well as home parenteral (intravenous) nutrition support, for patients with numerous acute and chronic conditions that negatively affect their nutritional health. These conditions include stroke, cancer, and gastrointestinal diseases.

In providing home nutrition therapy, Option Care’s services and high standards have been shown to prevent hospitalizations and reduce costs. A 2016 Option Care study found that close monitoring and proactive management of 126 home enteral and 124 home parenteral patients led to interventions that resulted in 957 hospital days avoided, translating to more than $1.9 million in savings. These interventions include managing hyperglycemia or electrolyte imbalance, preventing dehydration and reducing or eliminating diarrhea.

Option Care is dedicated to delivering the highest-quality home health care services to adult and pediatric patients who need infused therapies to treat a broad range of complex and acute conditions. In addition to providing home nutrition services, Option Care provides home infusion to treat a range of conditions from infectious disease, cancer and primary immune deficiencies to autoimmune disorders and end-stage organ failure.

About Option Care

Option Care Enterprises, Inc. (Option Care) is one of the nation’s largest and most trusted providers of home and alternate treatment site infusion services. An industry leader, the company draws on nearly 40 years of clinical care experience to offer patient-centered therapy management. Option Care’s signature Home Infusion Plus services include the clinical management of infusion medicines, nursing support and care coordination. Option Care’s multidisciplinary team of more than 1,800 clinicians — including pharmacists, nurses and dietitians — are able to provide home infusion service coverage for nearly all patients across the United States needing treatment for complex and chronic conditions. Learn more at www.OptionCare.com.

# # #

NEW ORLEANS — Adverse drug events (ADE) were rare — and serious ADEs nonexistent — in a retrospective two-year study of nearly 1,900 home and alternate treatment site (ATS) infusions of infliximab for patients with autoimmune disorders.¹ The research was presented today by Option Care, a leading provider of home and ATS infusion services, at the National Home Infusion Association (NHIA) Annual Conference & Exposition.

“Our findings add to the growing body of evidence that home infusion administered by a high quality provider is safe and effective, “ said Kendra Curry, PharmD, corporate director of Option Care Specialty Infusion Programs. “Patients prefer to receive their infusions in the comfort of their home and Option Care is dedicated to delivering exceptional care and comprehensive support, which improves clinical outcomes and is significantly more cost effective. “

The study included 291 Option Care patients who received 1,866 infusions of infliximab, an immune system suppressant used to treat a variety of autoimmune disorders including rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease.

• None of the infusions were associated with a severe ADE
• 13 (0.7 percent) of the infusions were associated with a moderate ADE, such as fever or hives
• 65 (3.48 percent) of the infusions were associated with a mild ADE, such as nausea or headache
• 4.2 percent overall rate of ADE
  • Consistent with the range for ADE rates reported in published infliximab infusion studies of patients treated in various settings, including the home, ATS, hospital and medical office^2-4
• All patients included in the Option Care study were managed at home or the ATS during their infliximab infusions.

The study included (adult and pediatric) infliximab infusions occurring between May 1, 2012 and May 31, 2014:

• 1,441 (77.2 percent) occurred in the home
• 410 (22 percent) at an ATS such as freestanding infusion clinic
• 15 (fewer than 1.0 percent) occurred in an unspecified location (either home or ATS).

Option Care’s specially trained registered nurses and pharmacists provide high-quality, high-touch clinical support to patients treated for complex conditions such as autoimmune disorders. The Option Care nurse stays with and observes the patient throughout every infliximab infusion, monitoring the patient’s vital signs (e.g. pulse and blood pressure) and for any adverse drug events or signs and/or symptoms of an infusion-related or hypersensitivity reaction.

“Our patients benefit from the personalized, high-touch care provided by our extensively trained registered nurses who follow research-based best practices and protocols backed by years of experience, “ said Brenda Wright, vice president of Clinical Services for Option Care. “In the rare case a patient begins to have a reaction, the nurse can swiftly and proactively manage the issue and prevent it from developing into a serious adverse event. “

Option Care has a staff of more than 1,800 clinical experts, including pharmacists, more than 1,200 infusion nurses and more than 100 registered dietitians. This multidisciplinary team of specially trained clinicians provides individualized patient care plans, clinical monitoring of each infusion and comprehensive patient and caregiver education.

About Option Care

Option Care Enterprises, Inc. offers clinical care provided by specially trained infusion nurses, pharmacists and dietitians who treat patients with a wide range of acute, chronic and rare conditions. As one of the nation’s largest providers of home and alternate treatment site infusion services, Option Care has 92 infusion pharmacies and 110 alternate treatment sites across the country. Learn more at www.OptionCare.com.

# # #

1. Smith S, Curry, K, Rout T, et al. Adverse drug events in infliximab patients infused in the home care setting: a retrospective chart review. Poster presented at the National Home Infusion Association Annual Conference and Exhibition; 2016 March 21-24; New Orleans, La.
2. Kelsall  J,  Rogers P,  Galindo G,  De Vera MA. Safety of infliximab treatment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in a real-world clinical setting: description and evaluation of infusion reactions. J Rheumatol.  2012 Aug;39(8):1539-45.
3. Breynaert C, Ferrante M, Fidder H, et al. Tolerability of shortened infliximab infusion times in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases: a single-center cohort study. Am J Gastroenterol.  2011 Apr;106(4):778-85
4. Ducharme  J,  Pelletier C,  Zacharias R. The safety of infliximab infusions in the community setting. Can J Gastroenterol.  2010 May;24(5):307-11.

Media Contact Information

Option Care
Lauren Kotarski
312-558-1770
LKotarski@pcipr.com

Effective March 1, 2016, Option Care Enterprises, Inc. will be a preferred provider of intravenous and subcutaneous immunoglobulin (IVIG/SCIG) drugs provided in the home[*]Members can continue to receive IVIG/SCIG from home infusion vendors currently owned by a hospital or health system participating in the Independence Blue Cross provider network. for members covered by affiliates of Independence Blue Cross. [*]Independence Blue Cross is a holding company and is not the name, or in the name, of an entity that “writes insurance.

As one of the nation’s largest providers of home and alternate treatment site infusion services, Option Care’s specially trained nurses and pharmacists provide high-quality, high-touch clinical support to patients treated for complex conditions, including those receiving IG. Option Care IG patients report very high levels of satisfaction — 98 percent — with Option Care’s in-home visits and ongoing support calls to help them manage their conditions.[*]Option Care Enterprises, Inc. Data on file 2016.

IG therapy is prescribed to patients with immune system-related conditions, including primary immunodeficiency disorders (the body’s immune system doesn’t function properly), autoimmune disorders (the body attacks itself) and other conditions that benefit from the treatment. IG therapy is delivered one of two ways: IVIG is infused through a vein, and SCIG is delivered into the fatty tissue just below the skin. Including IVIG and SCIG, Option Care manages more than 55,000 IG infusions each year.[*]Orange J, Kirkham H, Ayer G, et al. Improved clinical outcomes for patients receiving immunoglobulin therapy through specialty pharmacy or home infusion services. Paper presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) 2015 Annual Scientific Meeting: Nov 5-9, 2015; San Antonio.

In a recent first-of-its kind study, Option Care home IG patients, who receive a high level of clinical oversight, had better outcomes when compared to a large national database of patients who received IG therapy in other settings.

Option Care provides access to all IG products, and its more than 1,700 clinicians, including nurses and pharmacists specially trained in IVIG/SCIG, provide high-quality care, including individualized patient care plans, clinical monitoring of each infusion and comprehensive patient and caregiver education.

Effective March 1, 2016, Option Care Enterprises, Inc. will be a preferred provider of intravenous and subcutaneous immunoglobulin (IVIG/SCIG) drugs provided in the home* for members covered by AmeriHealth New Jersey.

As one of the nation’s largest providers of home and alternate treatment site infusion services, Option Care’s specially trained nurses and pharmacists provide high-quality, high-touch clinical support to patients treated for complex conditions, including those receiving IG.  Option Care IG patients report very high levels of satisfaction — 98 percent — with Option Care’s in-home visits and ongoing support calls to help them manage their conditions.[*]Option Care Enterprises, Inc. Data on file 2016.

IG therapy is prescribed to patients with immune system-related conditions, including primary immunodeficiency disorders (the body’s immune system doesn’t function properly), autoimmune disorders (the body attacks itself) and other conditions that benefit from the treatment. IG therapy is delivered one of two ways: IVIG is infused through a vein, and SCIG is delivered into the fatty tissue just below the skin. Including IVIG and SCIG, Option Care manages more than 55,000 IG infusions each year.[*]Orange J, Kirkham H, Ayer G, et al. Improved clinical outcomes for patients receiving immunoglobulin therapy through specialty pharmacy or home infusion services. Paper presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) 2015 Annual Scientific Meeting: Nov 5-9, 2015; San Antonio.

Home Infusion IG Therapy in Focus

In a recent first-of-its kind study, Option Care home IG patients, who receive a high level of clinical oversight, had better outcomes when compared to a large national database of patients who received IG therapy in other settings.

Option Care provides access to all IG products, and its more than 1,700 clinicians, including nurses and pharmacists specially trained in IVIG/SCIG, provide high-quality care, including individualized patient care plans, clinical monitoring of each infusion and comprehensive patient and caregiver education.

*Members can continue to receive IVIG/SCIG from home infusion vendors currently owned by a hospital or health system participating in the AmeriHealth New Jersey provider network.

AUSTIN, Texas — Option Care’s local dietitian-led Nutrition Support Team improves the care of patients receiving nutrition therapy at home and saves millions in costs by preventing hospitalization, according to a study being presented at the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.) Clinical Nutrition Week meeting today in Austin.

The study tracked the times that Option Care clinicians proactively identified one of four types of therapy complications for patients receiving home parenteral (intravenous) nutrition (HPN) and home enteral (through a feeding tube) nutrition (HEN). In each case, the team worked with the patient’s physician to correct the issue.

“Our findings demonstrate that Option Care‘s unique tools and processes help our clinicians detect complications early and intervene before they become bigger problems and lead to hospitalization,” Noreen Luszcz, RD, MBA, CNSC, Nutrition Program Director for Option Care. “Even though we analyzed only a few of the typical clinical interventions performed over a six-month period, we found significant benefits to our high-touch clinical support.”

The study includes data collected by 63 Option Care dietitians on 124 HPN and 126 HEN patients between Feb. 1 and July 31, 2015. Following Option Care’s close monitoring system to identify issues and react proactively, the teams performed 390 clinical interventions. During that time period, half of HPN patients were hospitalized at least once (20 percent nutrition-related, 12 patients) and 33 percent of HEN patients were hospitalized at least once (9 percent nutrition-related, 4 patients). However, the number of nutrition-related hospitalizations would have been significantly higher without close monitoring by the multidisciplinary team and proactive response, researchers note. They estimated that the interventions resulted in 957 hospital days avoided and therefore more than $1.9 million in savings.

The study tracked when the clinicians intervened to:

• Manage electrolyte imbalance (levels of chemicals that help with muscle and other vital body functions)
• Manage hypoglycemia (low blood sugar, which can cause a variety of symptoms, including weakness and confusion)
• Prevent dehydration (which can cause seizures, altered mental status and kidney impairment)
• Reduce or eliminate diarrhea (which can lead to dehydration)

“Many of these patients have complicated conditions and the nutrition therapies they receive are increasingly complex,” said Luszcz. “We’ve worked tirelessly to develop effective ways of closely monitoring them to ensure complications are identified early and remedied quickly.”

Option Care’s Nutrition Support Program follows a multidisciplinary team approach to care including infusion nurses, pharmacists, and dietitians certified in nutrition support who work closely with physicians to provide quality care to HPN and HEN patients. The program includes a registered dietitian at every one of its 92 infusion pharmacies.

Patients are prescribed HPN or HEN because they cannot meet their nutrition needs orally due to conditions such as cancer, stroke, gastrointestinal disease, or surgical complications. Both therapies can be temporarily administered in the hospital, however, about 40,000 HPN patients and 344,000 HEN patients annually receive their nutrition therapy safely and with less cost at home avoiding the risk of exposure to hospital-acquired infections, returning to work, and living active lives. Although some people receive these therapies short-term many are on for a longer period and some lifelong.

About Option Care

Option Care Enterprises, Inc., offers clinical care provided by specially trained infusion nurses, pharmacists, and dietitians who treat patients with a wide range of acute, chronic, and rare conditions. As one of the nation’s largest providers of home and alternate treatment site infusion services, Option Care has 92 infusion pharmacies and 110 alternate treatment sites across the country. Learn more at www.OptionCare.com.

# # #

Media Contact Information

Option Care
Lauren Kotarski
312-558-1770
LKotarski@pcipr.com