Health companies complain as Medicare reduces payments for oxygen therapy
Home health companies that provide oxygen therapy are unhappy about new Medicare rules that limit reimbursement, and they warn that the policy change could harm patients.
Medicare officials, however, say patients are not in danger of losing oxygen service and the providers are needlessly frightening elderly people.
“It’s an issue of concern,” said Laurence Wilson, director of chronic care policy at the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. “Some of these letters (being sent to patients by the companies) are saying some pretty disturbing things.”
Some companies have informed customers that they will have to pay out of their own pocket for delivery, supplies and emergency service. An Ohio company even told patients it was going to come to their homes and take away their equipment, leaving them without access to oxygen.
Scott Lloyd, president of the Extrakare home health company in Gwinnett County, believes some of these misleading statements arose from initial confusion over what the new rules meant.
Click Here to read the complete story in the Gainesville Times News
Click Here to read about the new Medicare Regulations in a simple Question and Answer format
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February 5, 2009
Tags: new Medicare regulations for home oxygen Posted in: COPD - supplemental oxygen
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