ACTION ALERT - JUNE 12, 2008 - The Senate and House are debating Medicare packages. The Senate has included pulmonary rehab in their package; the House is still debating provisions. Read more on this and take action today.
The 110th Congress is considering numerous bills that are of importance and concern to the respiratory therapy profession and the pulmonary patients we serve. The following is a recap following legislation and issues. Each issue is linked over to our Capitol Connection site where the issue is explained further and a message on the issue can be emailed to your members of Congress.
Face to face advocacy with members of Congress and/or their staff is key to securing support. An important component to lobbying legislative issues is providing the Member or the staff with short briefing papers, outlining the issues and points of concern and supporting data. While the AARC is involved with numerous legislative issues, we have focused intense efforts on 3 legislative issues: HR 3968 and S 2704 - the Medicare RT Initiative; HR 552/S 329 - the pulmonary rehabilitation bills and HR 621/S 1484 - the home Oxygen Protection bill.
Below each of these aforementioned bills you will find a link that will take you to the documents you can print out and use as talking points and ultimately leave with legislators or their staff.
Respiratory
Therapy Initiative HR 3968 and S 2704
This key issue for the profession will revise the Medicare law to permit
qualified respiratory therapists to provide certain respiratory therapy
services, such as smoking cessation, asthma management, MDI device and
medication education, while under the general supervision of a physician
(e.g. without the physician having to be physically present or on site).
A bill, HR 3968, has been introduced in the House of Representatives
by Congressman Mike Ross (D-AR). A bill (S 2704) has been introduced in
the Senate by Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Mike Crapo (R-ID). We
applaud the leadership of these members of Congress and ask you to write
to your Representative and Senators to ask for their co-sponsorship on
these bills.
Writing Letters to Congress
- Ask Your Representative to Co-Sponsor HR 3968
- Ask Your Senators to Co-Sponsor S 2704.
- Physician letter
Your physician colleagues can use this template to send supportive letters to their members of Congress on HR 3968 and S 2704.- Patient letter
Your patients can use this template to send supportive letters to their members of Congress on HR 3968 and S 2704.
Resource Materials
- Backgrounder
A background paper on why the Medicare Respiratory Therapy Initiative is needed.- HR 3968
A copy of the House Bill.- Scope of Practice for RT Practicing under Medicare Part B
- Medicare Part B Health Professionals – Education/Credentialing
- Describing HR 3968 to the Public
- Frequently Asked Questions on RT Initiative
Letters of Support
Studies
These studies support the need for greater intervention for patients with lung problems
- Chest paper on Obstructive Lung Diseases
- Studies & Research Supportive of RT
- Chest paper on Oxygen Therapy
Thanking members of Congress who have co-sponsored HR 3968 and S 2704
See Below under “To thank members of Congress who have co-sponsored” for directions to find if your Member or Senator is a co-sponsor of HR 3968 or S 2704
Once your member of Congress has co-sponsored our Medicare Respiratory Therapy Initiative it is important to recognize that support by submitting a brief thank you note.The links below will take you to the Capitol Connection sites where you may send a brief thank you message.
House of Representative Co-Sponsor Thank You of HR 3968
Senate Co-Sponsor Thank You of S 2704
You may find that one of your Senators has co-sponsored S. 2704 and but the other Senator has not. So as not to thank a Senator who has not co-sponsored, this particular Capitol Connection Message is set up in two parts. Click on the about thank you Senator link. There are further instructions how to make sure you are only sending your thank you message to the Senator who has co-sponsored the bill.
The Pulmonary and Cardiac Rehabilitation Act
(HR 552 and S 329)
This legislation will clearly establish that pulmonary rehabilitation
(and cardiac rehab) is a covered Medicare benefit, paving the way for
the development of one consistant national coverage policy. This would
put an end to the current erratic and inconsistent policies that have
left many individuals without access to these important services.
ACTION ALERT - JUNE 12, 2008 - The Senate and House are debating Medicare packages. The Senate has included pulmonary rehab in their package; the House is still debating provisions. Read more on this and take action today.
Resource Materials
- Backgrounder
- S 329
A copy of the Senate bill.- HR 552
A copy of the House Bill
Estimated Prevalence of Lung Disease
This document is the annual compilation by the American Lung Association that lists, state by state, county by county the prevalence of lung disease broken into various conditions. This is a terrific lobbying tool as it brings how to each member just how many people in the district or state suffer from some form of lung disease.
The
Home Oxygen Patient Protection Act of 2007 (HR 621/S 1484)
These bills will repeal the current Medicare provision that
requires Medicare beneficiaries to assume ownership and responsibilities
for their oxygen equipment. The AARC is also adamantly opposed to the
Administration’s 2008 Budget proposal to decrease to 13 months,
down from the current 36 months the time at which ownership will begin.
More information.
Backgrounder
A background paper on AARC's support for these bills.S 1484
A copy of the Senate bill.HR 621
A copy of the House bill.
The
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (HR 1108 and S. 625)
These bills will finally give the Food and Drug Administration
the authority to regulated the manufacture and sale of tobacco products.
Go read
about the issue and contact you members of Congress.
