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URGENT! ACTIONS NEEDED!!
Legislation
is Step Toward Fundamental Reform of Medicare Oxygen
Policy. HOPP Act H.R. 2373
May 2009
ARLINGTON, VA, May 13, 2009. Last night Congressmen Tom
Price, M.D. (R-Ga.) and Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) introduced
the Home Oxygen Patient Protection (HOPP) Act, H.R.
2373, in the House of Representatives. The HOPP Act
restores payments for home oxygen therapy through the
beneficiary's period of medical need.
'The American Association for Homecare thanks
Congressmen Price and Shuler for their continued
leadership in supporting patient-centered policy for
home oxygen therapy in Medicare," said Tyler J. Wilson,
president of the Association. "The Home Oxygen Patient
Protection Act would help ensure appropriate oxygen
therapy payments for the period of medical need. The
HOPP Act is an important step toward fundamental reform
of Medicare oxygen policy, which should have a greater
focus on patient need and on the essential services
required in providing quality oxygen therapy to seniors
in their homes. This issue is significant for both
Democrats and Republicans and we expect strong support
from both parties."
In 2006, Congress dramatically changed policy for oxygen
therapy by capping monthly reimbursements to providers
after 36 months of use. Before that policy took effect,
the home oxygen provider was reimbursed as long as the
oxygen was medically necessary, and the oxygen provider
took responsibility for maintenance, a back-up system,
24-hour emergency service, and other services required
for proper use and patient safety. Medical oxygen is a
highly regulated prescription drug.
The typical Medicare home oxygen beneficiary is a senior
who is suffering from late-stage COPD with associated
severe low levels of oxygen in the blood (hypoxemia).
COPD is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality
worldwide and is the only leading cause of death for
which both prevalence and mortality are rising. COPD is
a chronic, debilitating disease characterized by severe
airflow limitation resulting from chronic inflammation
of the airways, decrease in functional lung tissue, and
the dysfunction of pulmonary blood vessels.
Approximately 15 million Americans have been diagnosed
with COPD, and an estimated 12 to 15 million more remain
undiagnosed.
The American Association for Homecare represents durable
medical equipment providers, manufacturers, and other
organizations in the homecare community. Members serve
the medical needs of millions of Americans who require
oxygen equipment and therapy, mobility assistive
technologies, medical supplies, inhalation drug therapy,
home infusion, and other medical equipment and services
in their homes. The Association's members operate
more than 3,000 homecare locations in all 50 states.
Visit
www.aahomecare.org.
American Association for Homecare
2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 725
Arlington, VA 22202
April 21, 2009 is COPD Call-In Day
Today, April 21st is National COPD Call-In Day! Please
join with thousands of patients and advocates by
contacting your Senators , asking them to fund a COPD
program at CDC.
Please call your two Senators today. You can contact
them through the Capitol Switchboard at 202-225-3121. If
you're not sure who your Senators are, you can type in
your zipcode here -
http://lungaction.org/lungusa/home.html.
Here are talking points for when you call:
* My name is [NAME] and I'm calling from [CITY, STATE].
* I'm calling today to urge Senator [NAME] to sign the
COPD Dear Colleague letter being circulated by Senator
Lincoln and Senator Crapo [CRAY-po]. The letter requests
$1 million be appropriated to the CDC to develop a
federal COPD Action plan.
* COPD is the 4th leading cause of death in the United
States and an estimated 24 million Americans have the
disease. Currently CDC does not have any funding to
devote to prevention, surveillance and research into
this disease.
* Please work to ensure that at least $1 million is
appropriated to CDC this year for a COPD program and
sign onto the Dear Colleague.
* Thank you.
Subject: Support CDC Program to Address COPD, the
Nation's 4th Leading Killer
Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],
I am writing to strongly urge you to support the
allocation of $6 million to establish a national program
at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
to combat Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
COPD, which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis,
is the fourth leading cause of death in America,
claiming the lives of more than 130,000 Americans each
year. I believe that the establishment of a national
COPD program to expand surveillance activities and
create a comprehensive national action plan for
combating COPD must occur if the nation is to begin to
address this critical public health problem.
More than 12 million Americans have COPD and it is
estimated that another 12 million have the disease but
haven't been diagnosed. Sadly, COPD cannot be cured, but
it can be treated. Early diagnosis is the key to
successful management of this chronic disease. Early
detection and the development of new therapies can
improve health outcomes and help millions of people with
COPD live longer, healthier lives.
Calling on CDC, the nation's premier health prevention
institution, to address the issues of COPD would be the
most effective strategy to enhance prevention and
treatment of this devastating disease. Currently, there
is very little information gathered at CDC about COPD,
especially when compared
with other leading causes of illness and death. More
surveillance is needed in order to give public health
experts a better picture of disease trends; identify
disparities in health status and use of health care;
support biomedical and health services research; and
provide information for making changes in public
policies and programs.
America's health depends on the life-saving research and
programs carried out at the CDC. Please support
providing $6 million for a COPD program at CDC so the
nation's premier health institution can take action on
this life-threatening lung disease.
Sincerely,
dclink.vgm.com
capitol.medgroup.com
www.ahomecare.org
www.washingtonwatch.com
HOW TO PARTICIPATE?
It's easy! Compose & send your own emails, or use our
samples - everything you need for each campaign is on
our website:
(1) Pulmonary Rehabilitation:
http://tinyurl.com/23rw2e
(2) Disabled Waiting Period :
http://tinyurl.com/2maelf
(3) COPD Caucus:
http://www.emphysema.net/copdcaucus.htm
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