The American Association for Homecare has been collecting questions to submit to CMS this week to gain clarification on how CMS will implement the 36-month rental caps on home oxygen equipment.

While section 144 of the recently passed Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act revokes the transfer of ownership of oxygen equipment to patients, it does not repeal the oxygen rental cap of 36 months.

Those rental caps will start going into effect on Jan. 1, 2009, and that is why AAHomecare says it has collected more than a dozen questions from its members, councils and committees, as well as state and regional associations. The questions cover topics such as billing, maintenance, service, emergency care after the 36th month, reimbursement for traveling patients, and documentation needed to get new rental contracts.

HME Business magazine’s September issue will further investigate what shifts are in store for the oxygen market in lieu of the revised rental rules.