Doris Matsui: “I'd like to thank my colleague for yielding. I also want to say, Madam Speaker, thank you for your many wonderful years…”

“I'd like to thank my colleague for yielding. I also want to say, Madam Speaker, thank you for your many wonderful years of service and our friendship. We'll miss you in this Chamber, and we wish you well. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1845, the Medicare IVIG Access Act. I'd like to thank Congressman Brady for his hard work and his leadership on this legislation, as well as Congressman Kind for the leadership on the SMART Act provisions of this important legislation. Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases or, as we call it, PIDDs, is a group of diseases that cause a person's immune system to be unable to function properly. Unlike most of us who are able to fight common infectious diseases, patients with untreated PIDD can become seriously ill from a simple cold virus or even a cut on their arm. Patients with PIDD are generally treated with intravenous immunoglobulin, or IVIG, a complex drug that provides them a temporary immune system. Every 3-4 weeks, patients receive an IV treatment for about 2-4 hours per treatment. To maintain a healthy immune system, they must have this treatment for the rest of their lives. People with commercial insurance typically receive care in any of three settings: hospital outpatient departments; a physician's office; or at home, administered by a nurse. For many patients, receiving their care at home is optimal, as it greatly reduces the risk of infection.…”