Industry Hits the Hill to Battle Oxygen Cap, Competitive Bidding

WASHINGTON–At the American Association for Homecare’s annual
legislative fly-in next week, HME advocates plan to confront two
daunting challenges: the Deficit Reduction Act’s 36-month cap on
home oxygen rental, and Medicare’s coming competitive bid.

Scheduled June 19-20, the event will include meetings for
providers with their federal legislators, an oxygen technology fair
so members of Congress can see first-hand how patients use oxygen
equipment, and a patient call-in to combat the Deficit Reduction
Act’s oxygen rental cap. Rep. Joe Schwarz, R-Mich., a physician who
introduced the Home Oxygen Patient Protection Act–which would
repeal the DRA’s capped oxygen provision (see
HomeCare Monday, June 5)–will keynote the event.

“[Many providers’] livelihood is on the line with the DRA,” said
AAHomecare Chairman Tom Ryan, adding that the Schwarz bill is a
strong rallying point that should bring focus to the negative
ramifications of the DRA. “We’ve got to get some recognition on the
Hill that the DRA is a bad bill, and we’ve got to get some
understanding that we need a fix.”

Ryan also stressed the importance of support for the
Hobson-Tanner bill, H.R. 3559, which would ease some effects of DME
competitive bidding. The bill, introduced last year by Reps. David
Hobson, R-Ohio, and John Tanner, D-Tenn., has picked up 115
co-sponsors in the House, and stakeholders are now working to get a
companion bill introduced in the Senate.

For more information about the fly-in, visit www.aahomecare.org.