The CHAMP Act may be a loser for the respiratory industry

Sommers was asked about the new Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act of 2007 (CHAMP Act). The bill, which passed by a vote of 225 to 204 in early August of this year, commits $50 billion to reauthorize and improve the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and makes critical investments in Medicare to protect the health of senior citizens.


But according to the American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare), the House and Senate have passed versions of this bill that include Medicare with provisions that reduce the cap period for oxygen from 36 to 18 months, but retain the 36-month rental period for oxygen generating portable equipment. The Senate measure does not include Medicare issues. The bill includes a provision that reduces the time Medicare will pay for rental oxygen equipment by almost two thirds - from 36 months to 13 months. AAHomecare is strongly opposed to several provisions of the Administration's proposed 2008 budget that would weaken access to homecare for millions of Americans.






"It's total insanity," Sommer exclaimed. "Oxygen cuts must be omitted from this bill. Not only does it put an unrealistic timeline on lifesaving equipment, it also puts the burden of respiratory home equipment repair on the patient or family, because after the 13- month rental allowance, the equipment would have to be purchased." This is sure to cause a moral and ethical dilemma in Sommer's opinion. He went on to say that most people have little if any understanding of what it takes to maintain oxygen. "There is some talk of the government allowing for a provision to let homecare companies provide the maintenance for the equipment. However, the amount of reimbursement will be a crucial determinant as to whether or not it will be worth the time and effort," explained Sommer.

Mike Wooten, president of Pitcock Biomedical Inc., in Manchester, TN, added his thoughts to the debate, "Unfortunately, a few lives will probably be lost before the mess is straightened out. If people with home ventilators and respirators don't have the ability or know-how to recognize a problem - or if the equipment is inferior because it was not purchased from a reputable company - you are talking about a potentially deadly situation." Wooten went on to say that his company no longer sells many refurbished concentrators because, "it's cheaper to buy a new one." He goes on, "It may be new, but is it a quality piece of equipment?" Wooten has been in business for fifteen years and works with Invacare and Respironics. He has faith, however, that even with reimbursement cuts for home respiratory equipment products and, "everything else that is going on, because of our company's record of providing quality repairs at a fair price, our business will continue to grow and remain a driving force in the respiratory equipment market - I'm confident," says Wooten.

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