Social media is a great way to strengthen public awareness about issues that are important to advancing respiratory care and the profession.
We need permanent telehealth/virtual pulmonary rehabilitation for Medicare beneficiaries (H.R. 1406)
Request: Co-Sponsor of HR 1406
Join the AARC in spreading the word about the need to expand access to pulmonary rehabilitation services and to the expertise of RTs by expediting access to include physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists to provide direct supervision, prescribe exercise, administer the programs, and sign treatment plans. Currently, only physicians can provide these services. Ask Congress to cosponsor the Improving Access to Quality Cardiac Rehabilitation Act (H.R. 1956/S. 1986). Let your voice be heard!
Without additional authority from Congress, CMS has no flexibility to permit permanent continuation of virtual cardiac and pulmonary rehab services to Medicare beneficiaries in their homes once the Public Health Emergency ended on May 11, 2023. The waivers under the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) allow cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation services to be furnished to patients in their homes as virtual services by physicians or practitioners in a hospital outpatient department through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Without Walls initiative.
Under those waivers, respiratory therapists can furnish virtual pulmonary rehab services when an eligible practitioner bills for the service. Representatives John Joyce (R-PA) and Scott Peters (D-CA) introduced legislation called “the Sustainable Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Services in the Home Act (H.R. 1406)”, which would permanently allow patients to receive in-home cardiac and pulmonary rehab services under Medicare. We need your help to gain co-sponsors for this legislation. Please send this action alert to your representatives to request cosponsors for this important legislation, which will ensure that patients continue to have access to in-home cardiac and pulmonary rehab services even after the PHE ended on May 11, 2023.
Use and share these social media resources to promote your lobby efforts. Looking for a hashtag? Use #pulmrehab, #aarclobby, #patientsneedPR, #advocateforRTs, #expandPRnow, #keepprvirtual, and #improvePRaccess in your social media posts to help unify our messages.
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Suggested Copy for Your Post:Representatives introduced legislation called “the Sustainable Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Services in the Home Act (H.R. 1406)”, which would permanently allow patients to receive in-home cardiac and pulmonary rehab services under Medicare. We need your help to gain co-sponsors for this legislation. https://mstr.app/ca1c65af-93aa-489d-81de-7dddeca395e7 #aarclobby #HR1406
Suggested Copy for Your Post:
Improved access to respiratory therapists as part of a pulmonary rehab program can reduce exacerbations and improve an individual’s quality of life. Ask Congress to co-sponsor H.R. 1406! https://mstr.app/ca1c65af-93aa-489d-81de-7dddeca395e7 #advocateforRTs #expandPRnow #aarclobby
Suggested Copy for Your Post:Pulmonary rehab can improve survival rates and RTs can help. Expand coverage now to add nonphysicians to prescribe exercise and provide direct supervision. Ask Congress to co-sponsor H.R. 1406! https://mstr.app/ca1c65af-93aa-489d-81de-7dddeca395e7 #aarclobby #improvePRaccess #pulmrehab
Suggested Copy for Your Post:
Individuals in rural areas need access to PR services in their homes to improve their health outcomes. Ask Congress to make permanent virtual CR and PR services! Ask Congress to co-sponsor H.R. 1406! https://mstr.app/ca1c65af-93aa-489d-81de-7dddeca395e7 #aarclobby #virtualPRworks #keeppatientshome
Suggested Copy for Your Post:
Virtual PR services allow RTs to observe exercise in a patient’s home in real time to help meet their educational needs, observe exercise, and ensure patient adherence. Ask Congress to make permanent virtual CR and PR services! https://mstr.app/ca1c65af-93aa-489d-81de-7dddeca395e7 #keepPRvirtual #virtualPRbyRTs #aarclobby
Suggested Copy for Your Post:
If Congress does not act, individuals in PR programs who benefit from the virtual expertise of RTs in their home under current waivers will lose access. Ask Congress to make permanent virtual CR and PR services after the current waivers end! https://mstr.app/ca1c65af-93aa-489d-81de-7dddeca395e7 #keepPRvirtual #virtualPRbyRTs #weneedRTs
Support Medicare Oxygen Payment Reform — Support a Legislative Fix
Medicare beneficiaries who require supplemental oxygen can’t access oxygen systems appropriate for their medical needs. This is even worse for those who require liquid oxygen. To help fix this issue, the AARC has been working with a comprehensive coalition of oxygen stakeholders that includes, providers, patients, and the durable medical equipment industry. We have met with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to ask for oxygen reform through regulatory change. And although CMS may have authority to do so they have indicated that the solution must come from Congress.
We ask you to join us in asking Congress to pass 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.
Take action today and urge Congress to pass legislation addressing the challenges associated with supplemental oxygen.
Our coalition has based legislative reform on 4 Pillars
- Ensure supplemental oxygen is patient-centric
- Ensure access to liquid oxygen for patients for whom it is medically necessary
- Create a statutory service element to provide adequate reimbursement for respiratory therapists to ensure patients have access to their expertise
- To ensure predictable and adequate reimbursement and to protect against fraud and abuse, establish national standardized documentation requirements that rely upon a template rather than prescriber medical records to support claims for supplemental oxygen suppliers.
Use and share these social media resources to promote your lobby efforts. Looking for a hashtag? Use #oxygenreform, #aarclobby, #supplementaloxygen, #advocateforRTs, and #improveoxygenaccess in your social media posts to help unify our messages.
Social Media Post Graphics: Share with Respiratory Therapists & Healthcare Providers
Tap or click on an image below to open a full-sized version in a new window, then right-click or tap-and-hold to save it.
Suggested Copy for Your Post:
Medicare beneficiaries who require supplemental oxygen can’t access oxygen systems appropriate for their medical needs. Take action today and urge Congress to pass legislation addressing the challenges associated with supplemental oxygen.
https://mstr.app/c2584c6c-c598-44d1-9e82-78500d39ab98 #aarclobby #oxygenreform
Suggested Copy for Your Post:
Medicare beneficiaries who require supplemental oxygen can’t access oxygen systems appropriate for their medical needs. AARC has met with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to ask for oxygen reform through regulatory change. And although CMS may have the authority to do so they have indicated that the solution must come from Congress. Take action today and urge Congress to pass legislation addressing the challenges associated with supplemental oxygen.
https://mstr.app/c2584c6c-c598-44d1-9e82-78500d39ab98 #aarclobby #oxygenreform
Suggested Copy for Your Post:
Medicare beneficiaries who require supplemental oxygen can’t access oxygen systems appropriate for their medical needs. The solution must come from Congress. Take action today and urge Congress to pass legislation addressing the challenges associated with supplemental oxygen. https://mstr.app/c2584c6c-c598-44d1-9e82-78500d39ab98 #aarclobby #oxygenreform
