CHAMP Act's Cuts Draw Strong Response; AARP Is Unexpected HME Foe

ATLANTA--News of the so-called CHAMP Act's oxygen and power wheelchair provisions--legislation proposed in the House of Representatives that would reduce the 36-month oxygen rental cap to 18 months and eliminate the first-month purchase option for power wheelchairs--spurred a number of industry stakeholders into action last week.
The Council for Quality Respiratory Care, a coalition of 11 key manufacturers and providers, fired off a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, in hopes of keeping the oxygen provision out of the bill, which is designed to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program.
"Proposals to cap Medicare payments for vital home oxygen therapy at 18 months would severely impair the provider community's ability to ensure access to quality home oxygen services," CQRC said in the letter. "Of the more than one million frail and vulnerable beneficiaries currently relying on oxygen therapy in their homes, 35 percent will feel the direct, damaging and potentially irreversible effects of such profound cuts in this critical benefit."
The letter also noted the "sweeping changes to the home oxygen benefit" via the Medicare Modernization Act, which mandated competitive bidding, and the Deficit Reduction Act, which mandated the 36-month cap, both of which are in the process of being implemented. New studies show those actions will slice reimbursement by about 19 percent, according to the group, which includes Air Products Healthcare, AirSep, American HomePatient, Apria, DeVilbiss Healthcare, Invacare, Lincare, Pacific Pulmonary Services, Praxair, Respironics and Rotech.
"We are deeply concerned that further changes in Medicare's payment structure or reducing funding for home oxygen at this time would deal a devastating blow to providers and the patients who rely on their care," the CQRC said.
The letter was also signed by the American Association for Homecare and advocacy groups including the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis, COPD Alert-National Patient Support and Advocacy Group and the National Emphysema/COPD Association.
Wayne Knewasser, vice president of public relations and government affairs for Premier HomeCare, Louisville, Ky., and AAHomecare secretary, said when he first became aware of the bill's oxygen and power wheelchair provisions, he put 25 to 30 of his employees on the phones to the offices of legislators to make them aware of the ramifications."
AAHomecare, Waterloo, Iowa-based buying group VGM and the Georgia Association of Medical Equipment Suppliers, to name a few, all sent members a call to action encouraging them to reach their legislators.
But their efforts were tripped up, in part, by the AARP, which has long been considered a friend to Medicare beneficiaries. The mighty organization for seniors championed passage of the House bill and said it will continue to press Congress to make the CHAMP Act a reality.
"The AARP and other groups are talking so positively about this legislation and they are not identifying the group of beneficiaries that use oxygen and power mobility. Why are they not defending these beneficiaries?" asked Knewasser. "You can agree that the SCHIP program is a beneficial program for the health and welfare of the children, but you can also disagree with [how they plan to pay for it]."
Instead of funding the SCHIP expansion completely through an increase in cigarette taxes, House members elected instead to cut reimbursements for DME. "It's just a crazy thing to think that the tax on cigarettes is being held back in exchange for oxygen reimbursement," Knewasser said.
The AARP's stance on the issue needs to be addressed, and now is the time for providers to muster their muscle and make the issues known not only to legislators but to beneficiaries as well, he said. "We need to let the beneficiaries know that these groups are not truly representing everybody," said Knewasser, adding that he has already alerted a Medicare advocacy group for beneficiaries about the issue.
According to one GAMES member, "If we can sufficiently convince [AARP] of the harmful consequences to their members, then they would have to swing into action (or risk advocating for 'Americans of all generations' at the expense of their own members, which would be contrary to their explicit priorities). AARP will be either a strong ally or a strong foe. I think they typically will be one of our strongest allies, unless they misunderstand the issues--as is apparently the case here."
For the full text of the CQRC's letter to Congress, click here.
To read an AARP press release in support of the CHAMP Act, click here.
To contact AARP about the CHAMP Act, call Nora Super, senior legislative rep, at (202) 434-3770.