Respiratory Care Leadership Appreciates Willingness of CMS to Include Many Needed Changes in Final Rule for Medicare Home Oxygen Therapy
02.11.2006 21:30 Political Press Releases
To: City Desk, Health and Medical Reporter
Contact: Rebecca Reid, 410-212-3843, for the Council for Quality Respiratory Care
Washington, Nov. 2 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC), a coalition of the 11 leading home oxygen therapy providers and manufacturers who provide care and services to approximately 650,000 chronically-ill home oxygen patients, expressed appreciation that Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) officials addressed several significant concerns shared with the agency during the rulemaking process.
Peter Kelly, chairman of the CQRC and CEO of Pacific Pulmonary, said, "It has been CQRC's goal to work closely with policymakers and their staff to facilitate a deeper understanding of the clinical and operational complexities associated with the provision of home oxygen therapy, a life-enhancing benefit utilized by more than one million Medicare beneficiaries. In this spirit, we have been working constructively with government officials in an effort to ensure that continuity of patient care will not be disrupted by changes to Medicare's home oxygen payment system. While this Final Rule will require a significant reorganization of the way care is delivered to Medicare beneficiaries, we appreciate CMS' willingness to work with us to minimize disruption to patients and providers by reconfiguring funding levels for current and emerging technologies, as well as essential patient services."
In addition to the enormous overhaul of the payment system contained in the final rule, home oxygen providers and suppliers will be faced with significant additional changes starting in 2007. These changes will result in major cuts to the Medicare home oxygen benefit. "Any further changes in this critical program would pose too great a risk to a Medicare benefit that currently works well for patients and taxpayers alike," said Kelly.
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The Council for Quality Respiratory Care is a group of the nation's leading home oxygen therapy providers and manufacturers, representing a majority of the more than one million Medicare patients who depend on the home oxygen benefit for their care in order to live in an independent environment. The council was formed to work closely with policymakers and their staffs to facilitate a deeper understanding of the clinical, operational and service-related complexities associated with the provision of this life-enhancing benefit.
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