Here’s a better way to get the infusion care you need

Here’s a better way to get infusion care 

If you need infusion treatments, like intravenous medication or immunotherapy, your first thought might be that you'll have to go to a hospital. While hospitals certainly provide the care you need, you have options for more convenient, personalized treatment in a calm, comfortable setting.

Private infusion centers offer the same care from staff familiar with your medication and your condition—all at a fraction of the cost. And Community Health Options Members could receive an incentive payment when they switch to an approved local center through the company’s Infusion Site of Care Program.

Less hassle. More flexibility

Patients can choose care from infusion centers across Maine, no matter which plan they have, including many that may offer:

• Evening and weekend appointments—with shorter wait times
• Easy parking
• Comfy chairs in private or semi-private suites, with snacks, Wi-Fi and maybe even Netflix
• Safe care from practitioners who understand your condition and work closely with your doctor
• The possibility of in-home treatment, depending on where you live and your care plan

An easy switch. An even easier experience

If a Member wants to switch to a preferred location, Community Health Options handles everything and guides Members every step of the way to get the care they need. Our approved centers all offer excellent care, without the extra facility costs of a hospital. Ultimately, that means we all save money. Members receive an initial payment of $500 when they switch, and subsequent payments of $50 after each treatment, up to a maximum lifetime benefit of $3,700 (Members receive a 1099 form each year per IRS guidelines). The program includes more than 200 infused treatments, and some Members may be eligible for treatment at home. 

Lowering costs for everyone

The bottom line: Infusion centers deliver high quality treatment while costing less—a lot less.

Penobscot Community Health Care’s center in Bangor, for instance, estimates their infusion services cost 50% to 70% less than a hospital. Centers like PCHC can afford patient-centered, individualized care at such a reduced price, in part because they don't have the extra facility costs hospitals must consider when they provide the same service. 

For example, a 16-year-old Community Health Options Member with Crohn's disease was prescribed Remicade, a medication often used for autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. She began treatment at a hospital, where the medication cost $25,540 a month. However, she soon agreed to switch to a standalone infusion center 10 minutes away, where her treatment costs about half that amount—$13,785 a month. The transition to a local center saved more than $140,000—a savings that benefits not only one Member but is spread across the health plan.

The Infusion Site of Care program has saved more than $8 million since being launched in 2019. As a nonprofit, Member-led insurer, Community Health Options uses those savings to help reduce the total cost of care for everyone, while providing the incentive payment to thank Members and help offset some out-of-pocket expenses.

Getting started

Community Health Options Members interested in the Infusion Site of Care Program can call (855) 624-6463, Monday through Friday. If you’d like a care manager to call you, you can also visit our website to schedule a call.

Specific plan benefits vary, so please check your plan’s schedule of benefits for details. Have a question about Community Health Options or your benefits? Call our Maine-based Member Services team at (855) 624-6463, Monday through Friday.

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