Notable & Quotable

Under the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, Congress merely considered the economic issues of home oxygen therapy, and not the clinical aspects. This legislation

By HomeCare Staff

“Under the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, Congress merely considered the economic issues of home oxygen therapy, and not the clinical aspects. This legislation to repeal this provision of the DRA is in the best interest of patients, the medical community and Medicare.”
— Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., minority whip in the House (shown with a local constituent at a Medicare seminar). In January, Price reintroduced the Home Oxygen Patient Protection Act, which would repeal the Deficit Reduction Act’s 36-month rental cap on Medicare home oxygen and restore ownership of equipment to providers. H.R. 621, its official designation, is a carbon copy of legislation introduced last year by Price, a physician, and former Michigan Rep. Joe Schwarz, also a physician.

“Isn’t this the United States? We are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, and that’s not what is going on here.”
— Joan Cross, president of C&C Homecare in Bradenton, Fla., current president of the NSC board and former president of the Florida Association of Medical Equipment Suppliers, on letters the National Supplier Clearinghouse recently sent to some 200 HME providers in the Miami area suspending their provider numbers. Cross said most providers could not afford to defend themselves against such actions, many of which, if not all, were without appropriate cause, according to attorneys and providers.
Tennessee has the highest rank in the country for prescription drug use, with residents averaging 17.3 prescriptions per person compared to the U.S. average of 11.3 prescriptions. However, the state ranks 47th in health status for its citizens.

Source: BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee

15% of people on Medicare (nearly 7 million in 2006) are under age 65 and permanently disabled.

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation

43% of people surveyed who had assets of $500,000 to $999,999 said health care costs would ultimately consume a major portion of their financial assets, up significantly from the 36 percent who expressed the same concern a year ago.

Source: PNC Wealth Management

$22.7 billion The money Medicaid spent to help poor, frail elders stay in their own homes in 2005, an amount that has tripled since 1996.

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer

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