The American Association for Homecare has developed a letter aimed at helping providers to ask payers to temporarily ease the requirement for compliance data from sleep devices.
The letter underscores the insufficient supply of CPAPs due to supply chain issues such as decreased microchip availability, as well as the Philips recall.
The letter also highlights that some manufacturers have tied to fill the gap by offering new PAP therapy devices that lack wireless modems and remote usage monitoring technology. That monitoring technology has become required by most private payer insurance companies to authorize reimbursement for devices and resupply items.
The letter is designed to give providers messaging they can use to explain the issue to payers and request that “insurance companies remove, for a limited period of time, any policy requiring patient compliance data for continued use or authorization.”
“Without some short-term relaxation of patient compliance requirements, it may become extremely difficult for suppliers to continue providing PAP devices and supplies to those who need them to safely manage their medical conditions,” the letter states. “A disruption in access could lead to adverse health outcomes and increase overall costs of care.”
Sleep therapy equipment providers can download the letter as a PDF by clicking here.