Administering specialty drugs outside hospitals could save $4 billion annually

A new report from UnitedHealth finds that the need to administer specialty drugs — which are often injected or infused — in hospitals drives up health care costs, and that giving patients these drugs in their homes or in physician’s offices could cut U.S. health spending by up to $4 billion annually. Moving multiple sclerosis treatment outside hospitals alone could cost $37,000 less per patient every year, analysts found. Providing chemotherapy for cancer patients out of hospitals could save up to $16,000 a year per patient, while treating those with immune deficiencies in their home or in doctor’s offices could save up to $32,000 annually. Treating patients at home could also provide the added benefit of mental wellbeing and fewer schedule disruptions, the report’s authors write.