CQRC Commends CMS Measures to Enable Delivery of Home Respiratory Care
Administration issues new rule that will improve access to care for home respiratory patients during the ongoing national emergency.
Washington, DC, March 31, 2020 --(PR.com)-- The Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC) – a coalition of the nation's leading home oxygen therapy provider and manufacturing companies – today commended the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for loosening regulatory requirements and policies restricting the delivery of home respiratory supplies and services during the COVID-19 public health crisis.
Regulatory relief measures that will extend through the public health emergency included in today’s announcement include:
· Payment for patients diagnosed with acute medical conditions that require oxygen, PAP, or ventilators. This will ensure that home respiratory care providers can respond to the requests of States, local public health officials, and hospitals who are trying to triage lower acuity patients home and save hospital beds for the sickest patients.
· Suspension of all home respiratory therapy audits.
· Elimination of the medical record review and other Medicare paperwork requirements, including proof of delivery signatures. Pausing these requirements will free up doctors and hospitals from chasing paperwork and allow patients to avoid touching tablets, pens, or paper that could spread the virus.
“CQRC applauds CMS for taking these bold steps to enable greater access to home respiratory care for both chronic COPD patients and acute COVID-19 patients who can safely and effectively be treated in the home setting,” said CQRC Chairman Dan Starck. “The regulatory relief measures announced today will go a long way in keeping patients out of the hospital as well as moving patients quickly out of the acute setting to make beds available for the most critical COVID-19 patients.”
About the Council for Quality Respiratory Care
The CQRC is a coalition of the nation's seven leading home oxygen therapy provider and manufacturing companies. To learn more, visit cqrc.org and follow CQRC on Twitter at @TheCQRC.
Regulatory relief measures that will extend through the public health emergency included in today’s announcement include:
· Payment for patients diagnosed with acute medical conditions that require oxygen, PAP, or ventilators. This will ensure that home respiratory care providers can respond to the requests of States, local public health officials, and hospitals who are trying to triage lower acuity patients home and save hospital beds for the sickest patients.
· Suspension of all home respiratory therapy audits.
· Elimination of the medical record review and other Medicare paperwork requirements, including proof of delivery signatures. Pausing these requirements will free up doctors and hospitals from chasing paperwork and allow patients to avoid touching tablets, pens, or paper that could spread the virus.
“CQRC applauds CMS for taking these bold steps to enable greater access to home respiratory care for both chronic COPD patients and acute COVID-19 patients who can safely and effectively be treated in the home setting,” said CQRC Chairman Dan Starck. “The regulatory relief measures announced today will go a long way in keeping patients out of the hospital as well as moving patients quickly out of the acute setting to make beds available for the most critical COVID-19 patients.”
About the Council for Quality Respiratory Care
The CQRC is a coalition of the nation's seven leading home oxygen therapy provider and manufacturing companies. To learn more, visit cqrc.org and follow CQRC on Twitter at @TheCQRC.
Contact
Ellen Almond
703-548-0019
http://cqrc.org/
703-548-0019
http://cqrc.org/
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