22 Lawmakers Back Oxygen Letter
The Congressional sign-on letter asks CMS to adopt a clear, standardized template letter for home oxygen equipment and supplies.
Twenty-two members of the House of Representatives signed a letter urging CMS to streamline medical necessity documentation required for home oxygen therapy.
The signatures came after a push by HME industry advocates and stakeholders to sign the Congressional sign-on letter spearheaded by Reps Terri Sewell (D—AL) and Larry Bucshon (R—IN).
“We ask that CMS use the opportunity of expanding the current National Coverage Determination for oxygen to establish a clear set of criteria to support medical necessity and instruct the contractors to rely solely on the Standard Written Order as they are doing during the pandemic or to include with that order a completed template to support medical necessity without having to review individual clinician’s medical records,” the letter to CMS reads. “Based on the CERT data, medical necessity is not an issue, but how clinicians write their medical records notes may be problematic. Rather than place suppliers and beneficiaries in the middle, CMS should create clear rules and forms that will facilitate beneficiary access while also protecting against fraud and abusive practices.”
(Click here to download a PDF of the Dear Colleague letter from Reps. Sewell and Bucshon, as well as the House sign-on letter.)
“The CQRC [Council for Quality Respiratory Care] deserves credit for leading the effort to develop the letter with Reps. Sewell and Bucshon,” noted a statement from the American Association for Homecare . “Thanks to the HME advocates who asked their House members to add their names, as well our partners at state and regional HME associations who helped raise the visibility of the sign-on letter.”