http://www.hmenews.com/article/cms-throws-safety-net-oxygen-patients
from the article:
It appears CMS has finally realized that you can’t get blood from a stone—or oxygen equipment and services from an HME provider that has gone out of business.
Under a cap that went into effect in 2009, providers cannot bill for patients after 36 months but they must still service them. Once the patient hits 60 months, providers can supply new equipment and start billing again.
“CMS is hearing that oxygen patients are being abandoned,” said Kim Brummett, senior director of regulatory affairs for AAHomecare. “You’ve just got people closing their doors.”
The problem with that: A perfect storm of audits and competitive bidding has drastically reduced the number of providers willing and able to service oxygen patients, creating significant access issues, stakeholders say.
“Nobody wants them anymore,”
I would suspect that oxygen pts are at 5%-10% of one end of the cost bell curve.. But our system does not have any “death panels” or rationing of services.. as long as you don’t need any costly services to treat your chronic condition(s) …
Filed under: General Problems
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