Medicare's new regulations for providing home oxygen therapy to seniors are alarming and inadequate, according to the American Association for Homecare.
The AAH expects that approximately one-third of all patients who rely on the Medicare home oxygen benefit will be affected by the new rules, which address the 36-month cap on home oxygen payments.
"Once again, CMS has discounted the important role that homecare providers play in the provision of care to Medicare patients on home oxygen therapy," said Tyler J. Wilson, president and CEO of the AAH.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced new oxygen payment rules and responsibilities that are mandated by the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008. The changes were included as part of the final rule for the 2009 physician fee schedule.
"We fear that this approach will jeopardize seniors' access to the level of care they require and have come to expect from their oxygen providers," said Wilson.
The AAH is concerned about:
- the requirement that oxygen providers must arrange continued care for patients who move out of a provider's service area;
- the treatment of routine maintenance and service of the oxygen system to ensure that it is working at optimal performance levels;
- no recognition of costs associated with visiting patients who require episodes of unscheduled emergency services; and
- no payment for oxygen supplies required to keep the patient healthy and keep the equipment working properly once the 36-month cap on oxygen becomes effective.
"The rules released by CMS underscore the fact that the current Medicare oxygen policy is seriously flawed and changes are needed in order to make the oxygen benefit more focused on patients and the services they require," said Wilson.