AARC Comments Focus on RT as
the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Specialist
For Immediate Release
IRVING, TX (January 29, 2007) The American
Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) has submitted comments asking
for development of a national coverage policy for pulmonary rehabilitation
in response to a request from the Medicare program.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS), the government agency that oversees the Medicare program,
asked for comments by Jan. 27 regarding the feasibility of creating
a national policy covering pulmonary rehabilitation reimbursement. In
written comments, AARC submitted the following:
Any NCD for pulmonary
rehabilitation issued by CMS should clearly recognize the importance
of the respiratory therapist to provide the required physician-ordered
pulmonary rehabilitation services.
Respiratory therapists
are the health care professionals most directly involved with the
delivery of pulmonary rehabilitation services. The respiratory therapist
by definition has formal education and documented competency in the
provision of all aspects of lung disease treatment and management.
In any given pulmonary rehabilitation program, the respiratory therapist
can assume the role of program manager, program coordinator, clinical
specialist or as a member of the pulmonary rehabilitation staff.
AARC's comments focused on the need to
involve respiratory therapists in pulmonary rehabilitation programs,
adding to its previously submitted comments to CMS on the definition
of, the components of, and the clinical effectiveness of pulmonary rehabilitation
programs. AARC has previously provided input on this issue with other
physician and healthcare organizations also interested in pulmonary
rehabilitation.
The comments solicited by CMS on pulmonary
rehabilitation coverage coincidentally come at a time when new pulmonary
rehabilitation legislation has been introduced in Congress. The Senate
and House have both introduced bills (S. 329 and HR. 552) calling on
Medicare to develop a national coverage policy.
“We think the fact that both Congress
and CMS are focusing on pulmonary rehabilitation bodes well,” said Cheryl
West, director of government affairs for the AARC. “With both groups
working on a common issue, we may perhaps see some important changes
in pulmonary rehab coverage.”
For updated information on AARC's activities
in Washington DC, please see http://www.aarc.org
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Contact:
Sherry Milligan
American Association For Respiratory Care
(972) 406-4656