Tag: CQRC

Being the recipient of Google Alerts for “oxygen concentrator” is a scary and sad place to be right now.  I have these alerts set up for a number of key terms in the HME industry – think “sleep therapy” and “home infusion” and “AdaptHealth” and “Invacare.” They’re delivered to my email inbox every afternoon.  Recent alerts for “oxygen concentrator” have been almost exclusively related to...

WASHINGTON – CMS’s competitive bidding program set the stage for a number of the difficulties that the HME industry is seeing as it tries to meet increased demand for oxygen therapy for COVID-19 patients, say the leaders of Apria Healthcare and Lincare and the Council of Quality Respiratory Care.  The agency may have dropped oxygen from Round 2021, its latest round of bidding, but 10 years since the program’s...

WASHINGTON – CMS’s “meager” 0.6% CPI-U adjustment escalates the need to pass H.R. 8158, says the Council for Quality Respiratory Care. The lack of a larger adjustment, combined with the budget neutrality requirement, means a reimbursement cut of about 5% for stationary oxygen in non-bid areas, though the impact varies by region, according to the council. “We remain hopeful that Congress will implement a technical fix to this issue through bipartisan end-of-year legislation,”...

WASHINGTON - CMS's decision not to push forward with the majority of Round 2021 of the competitive bidding program has been met with support from numerous providers. CMS on Oct. 27 announced new payment amounts for off-the-shelf back and knee braces but not for 13 other product categories, including CPAP and oxygen therapy, because there were no expected savings. In light of the ongoing public health emergency, it's the right thing to do, says Casey Hoyt, CEO of Viemed Healthcare. “While the...

WASHINGTON - The Council for Quality Respiratory Care is celebrating National Respiratory Care Week, Oct. 26-31, by promoting H.R. 8158, a bill that would eliminate the budget neutrality requirement for home oxygen services, supplies and equipment. The annual event, sponsored by the American Association for Respiratory Care, recognizes the critical role that respiratory therapists play in promoting patient health. The CQRC commends RTs for their efforts to ensure continued access to care, even as...

WASHINGTON - The Council for Quality Respiratory is throwing its support behind the CONNECT Act, a bill that would expand telehealth services for RTs, because it would also help to strengthen the referral process for oxygen therapy. “We hope our process of talking to folks in the administration and the House and Senate to support this act helps to get it pushed through,” said Crispin Teufel, chairman of the CQRC and CEO of Lincare. “DME benefits indirectly, but the expansion of...

WASHINGTON - The Council for Quality Respiratory Care, a coalition of home respiratory therapy providers and manufacturing companies, is backing a bill in the House of Representatives that would expand telehealth services to allow RTs to provide services as part of CMS's Innovation Center alternative payment models. The bill would also authorize CMS to waive geographic and other restrictions for respiratory care services provided in high-need, professional shortage areas. “We commend these...

WASHINGTON - West Virginia's congressional delegation has asked CMS Administrator Seema Verma to delay Round 2021 of the competitive bidding program during the public health emergency.The letter, spearheaded by Sens. Joe Manchin, D-West Va., and Shelley Capito, R-West Va., also seeks to extend the blended rates in both competitive and non-bid areas to “maintain stability and access across all parts of the country.”West Virginia has lost 38% of providers in the past two years due to drastic...

WASHINGTON - The Council for Quality Respiratory Care has named Crispin Teufel as chairman of the board. Teufel, CEO of Lincare, succeeds Dan Starck. “I am honored and humbled to serve as the next chairman of the CQRC,” said Teufel. “As we navigate the unprecedented challenges imposed by COVID-19, I look forward to working collaboratively with my industry colleagues to continue delivering high-quality care to patients both during the pandemic and beyond.” The CQRC is a coalition...

I am writing on behalf of the Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC) to highlight how our members—the home oxygen, sleep, and ventilation therapy suppliers and manufacturers-are prepared to help during the COVID-19 emergency when patients diagnosed with the disease have access to the equipment and supplies they need to recover. For us to fully serve these patients, however, we need your help in trying to address some of regulatory restriction that will be a barrier to caring for these...