Respiratory Therapy Advocacy in Washington, D.C.

Respiratory Therapy Advocacy in Washington, D.C.

Lisa Zaenger, Lexie Caraway, and AARC President, Dana Evans, traveled to Washington, D.C. with about 100 other respiratory therapists and patients to request members of Congress to support the Medicare Act.

To help fix the problems created by the Medicare Competitive Bidding Program, the AARC has been working with a comprehensive coalition of oxygen stakeholders that includes providers, patients, and the durable medical equipment industry.

The SOAR Act: A New Service Benefit

Of great importance to the respiratory care profession, the SOAR Act will establish a service benefit to pay respiratory therapists to see oxygen patients outside the care facility and in their home, which has never existed before under the durable medical equipment benefit.

We ask you to co-sponsor this legislation to ensure anyone who requires supplemental oxygen can access the most appropriate type of oxygen equipment for their needs. Congress must prioritize patients and solve this problem.

Four Pillars of Reform

The legislation is based on four pillars of reform:

1. Ensure supplemental oxygen is patient-centric.

2. Ensure access to liquid oxygen for patients for whom it is medically necessary.

3. Create a statutory service element to provide adequate reimbursement for respiratory therapists to ensure patients have access to their expertise.

4. Establish national standardized documentation requirements that rely upon a template rather than prescriber medical records to support claims for supplemental oxygen suppliers—ensuring predictable and adequate reimbursement while protecting against fraud and abuse.

Meeting with Congress

With the mounting costs to manage chronic diseases and avoid expensive exacerbations, Lisa, Lexie, and Dana met with multiple Congressional offices including three members of Congress to ask their support for the Medicare Act.

We think the timing is right to improve patients’ access to expanded telehealth services and in particular to the unique skills of respiratory therapists who are trained experts in the care of patients’ chronic respiratory diseases.

About PACT

Lisa and Lexie are Co-Chairs of the Political Advocacy Contact Team (PACT), a nationwide group of respiratory therapists and patients organized by the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) and the Illinois Society for Respiratory Care to spearhead grassroots level advocacy efforts.