Many people need special care and medicine, and infusion therapy is one way to get that care and medication. What is infusion therapy and how does it work? There are many places in Utah where people can go to receive infusion therapy, a couple of those places are: Option Care, Pure, and most others are connected to hospitals. There are nurses there who are trained to do the infusions and then there’s the patient who receives the infusion. Infusion therapy is receiving medication by IV or an injection directly into the bloodstream. Infusion centers are all over the United States, but Utah is most known for them. Whenever someone needs infusion therapy, they need to get a referral from a doctor. This is important to know in case you or a family member are thinking about getting infusion therapy.
What type of people use infusion therapy? Infusion therapy is for chronic illnesses and autoimmune diseases. Some examples of the more common chronic illnesses are, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Myasthenia Gravis, Crohn’s, Colitis, and Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy (CIPD). “Anyone with chronic illnesses who have failed 1st and 2nd line treatments after consultation with their specialty provider will receive Infusion Therapy,” says Sarah Cook, the supervisor over all Infusion Centers in Utah for Option Care Health.
We know what infusions are used for, but who does the infusions? Not just any nurse or doctor can provide this care. The nurses who do the infusions need special training to be able to do these infusions. Sarah Cook says, “Only a specially trained infusion nurse can do these infusions, with provider oversight and check-ins.” This is because the company does not want something to go wrong and lose their license for infusion therapy.
What role does insurance play? Insurance companies are tricky with the things they pay for, and this also depends on what type of insurance you have. Sarah Cook says, “It is very expensive for some of the medications you may need. Every insurance company covers a portion, but it depends on the insurance company and how much they will cover.” It’s not just the insurance company who has to allow the patient to get infusion therapy, it’s also up to the company. “We, as a company, need to authorize the insurance company prior, which can sometimes take months,” Sarah Cook says.
There are supervisors for all infusion centers to make sure everything runs smoothly. People can get more information on websites for the infusion center and from their medical provider. Infusion therapy is a good option for some patients but not all. Everyone should still know it is an option.