Ross, Meek Send Oxygen Reform Sign-On Letter

WASHINGTON–Reps. Mike Ross, D-Ark., and Kendrick Meek, D-Fla.,
have sent a sign-on letter to their colleagues requesting that
reform of the Medicare home oxygen benefit be included in health
care reform legislation this year. 
 
Addressed to the leaders of key committees in the House of
Representatives, the letter also urges no further cuts to oxygen
therapy.
 
Ross, a former pharmacy and HME owner, is expected to introduce a
bill based on the New Oxygen Coalition’s long-term oxygen
reform proposal.  (For more, see “Get Oxygen
Reform to the Hill, Proponents Say.”)

According to an update from the American Association for Homecare,
the bill is being drafted into legislative language and should be
dropped “shortly.”
 
Among its changes, the oxygen reform proposal would eliminate
the 36-month cap on oxygen,  exempt oxygen from
competitive bidding and recognize the services
required in providing home oxygen therapy. 
 
The deadline for House members to sign on to the letter is
Friday, June 12, at noon.
 
The signatures will be sent to the chairs and ranking members of
the three House committees with jurisdiction over Medicare and
health reform. At a meeting this morning, the chairmen of those
committees briefed the House Democratic Caucus on the timing of
health reform and confirmed they were “on track to introduce
legislation shortly.”
 
According to a joint statement from Ways and Means Chairman Charles
Rangel, D-N.Y.; Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman,
D-Calif.; and Education and Labor Chairman George Miller, D-Calif.,
“We anticipate committee action on health reform in the
coming weeks, with legislation on the House floor prior to the
August district work period.”
 
Ross serves on the Energy and Commerce committee, and Meek serves
on the Ways and Means committee.
 
For a copy of the sign-on letter, see the AAHomecare Web site.