AAHomecare Regulatory Committee members and association staff met with CMS staff in Baltimore this week to discuss policy related to the 36-month rental cap on oxygen equipment.  

CMS staff indicated that the meeting would be a “listening session” to hear the HME industry’s concerns.

“The goal of the meeting was to raise specific concerns that we believe CMS must address and seek clear and unambiguous direction from the agency when policy directives are issued by CMS,” read an AAHomecare statement regarding the meeting.

AAHomecare reports that CMS says it is developing policy, and therefore would not provide AAHomecare representatives with a timeline for the release of program instructions or additional information on CMS’ plans regarding oxygen policy.

The meeting was scheduled as follow-up to address questions about implementation of oxygen policy contained in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 and the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008.

AAHomecare posed various questions to CMS that were drafted by the Regulatory Committee with input from the HME/RT Council, the State Leaders Advisory Council, and other AAHomecare members and were submitted to CMS by AAHomecare in August.

AAHomecare says that its members also asked that CMS develop payments for ongoing maintenance on a semi-annual basis as well as payments for unscheduled episodes of service. AAHomecare staff and the Regulatory Committee members attending the meeting also offered to serve as resources for CMS as the Agency develops oxygen policy.

The association reported that CMS staff asked questions related to the services and costs of providing oxygen to Medicare patients and how those dynamics might change after the rental payments cap.