At least 50 House Representatives have agreed to sign asign-on letter supporting oxygen reform that was authored by by Reps. Mike Ross (D-Ark.) and Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.).
A statement from the American Association for Homecare called on HME providers to contact their Representatives and urge them to sign the letter. A copy of the letter is available from the AAHomecare web site.
Currently, a bill to reform oxygen is being drafted and Ross is expected to introduce that bill in the near future, according to a statement from AAHomecare. The sign-on letter is intended to serve as a place-holder for the issue, until thebill is introduced.
The letter itemizes the problems with current oxygen policy, such as the 36-month rental cap, and outlines a reform agenda very much in line with the NOC oxygen reforms. (See “NOC Releases Draft Oxygen Reform Plan” and “Oxygen Reform Hits Snag” to read more on the reform.)
“We believe that the current oxygen benefit is fundamentally flawed. It ignores the vital services that oxygen providers furnish to their patients,” the letter reads. “Under the current system, payments are based primarily on oxygen equipment rather than patient need and those payments are arbitrarily capped after 36 months while providing virtually no payments for vital services and supplies beyond the 36-month period. These factors, combined, are harming access and leading to a diminution of quality of care for Medicare oxygen patients.”
