New Bill Offers Medicare Reimbursement Fix for Intravenous Immun...( 18 patient advocacy and health care p...),Health

18 patient advocacy and health care professional groups join with Congressional sponsors Reps. Israel, Brady and Schwartz to announce new legislation; call for patient access to IVIG

WASHINGTON, April 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Members of Congress and patient advocacy groups announced today the introduction of new legislation - H.R. 2002, Medicare Patient IVIG Access Act of 2009 - meant to remedy inadequate Medicare reimbursements that currently restrict patient access to Intravenous Immune Globulin (IVIG), a life-saving and life-enhancing therapy for many primary immunodeficiency diseases; chronic lymphocytic leukemia; Kawasaki disease; autoimmune and neurological conditions such as chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, Guillain-Barre syndrome, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, myasthenia gravis, myositis, multiple sclerosis, just to name a few.

Sponsored by Reps. Israel, Brady and Schwartz, this bill is similar to legislation introduced by Sens. Kerry and Alexander in March of this year. Passage of this legislation would benefit Americans nationwide for whom IVIG is a necessary therapy to help them live with their primary immunodeficiency disease, neurological, autoimmune or other rare chronic conditions and illnesses.

"For those suffering with immune-deficiency disorders, IVIG is a life-saving and life-sustaining treatment. But because of inadequate Medicare coverage, patients are suffering," said Rep. Steve Israel. "We must fix the insufficient coverage Medicare provides for IVIG treatment, which is why I'm sponsoring legislation to help get these patients the care they need."

"Access for those who rely on IVIG therapy to sustain a normal life is an issue that must be addressed, and we are doing so by introducing this bill," said Rep. Kevin Brady. "Through my work with patients and families living with conditions that rely on IVIG, the access issue has become
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