News
Medicare Should Protect Patient Access to Life Sustaining Home Respiratory Therapy After the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Ends in May
To ensure continued access to home respiratory care, patients and providers urgently need a transition period and a clear, standardized template for demonstrating medical need WASHINGTON – Today the Council for Quality Respiratory Care – a coalition of the nation’s leading home respiratory therapy providers and manufacturing companies – called for greater steps to protect America’s…
CQRC Fears Lack Of Template Could Increase Denials
WASHINGTON — The Council for Quality Respiratory Care has expressed disappointment that the recently published local coverage determination for oxygen does not call for the use of a data-driven oxygen template when documenting medical need. Instead, the LCD, released on Nov. 18, continues to rely on the use of patient medical records, which the CQRC says can…
CQRC Disappointed Latest LCD on Supplemental Oxygen Fails to Adopt Clear, Objective Oxygen Template
WASHINGTON — The Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC) – a coalition of the nation’s leading home oxygen therapy providers and manufacturing companies – today expressed disappointment that the latest Local Coverage Determination (LCD) for oxygen and oxygen equipment issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on November 18, does not call for the use…
CQRC Urges CMS to Adopt Clear, Objective Oxygen Template and Issue Clear Guidance about End of the PHE to Ensure Patients’ Access to Home Respiratory Care
Home Respiratory Care Leaders Respond to CMS’ Request for Information Seeking Public Comment on Accessing Healthcare Provider Challenges WASHINGTON – The Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC) – a coalition of the nation’s leading home oxygen therapy providers and manufacturing companies – recently submitted its response to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Make Your…
New PRI Issue Brief Supports Reforms to Medicare’s DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Process for Improved Quality and Sustainability
The Pacific Research Institute’s recent report on CMS’s reimbursement system details flaws in Medicare’s competitive bidding methodology, including supply shortages, and outlines needed reforms to ensure Americans’ access to care. WASHINGTON, DC –– A issue brief published by the Center for Medical Economics and Innovation at the Pacific Research Institute (PRI) this week highlights flaws in the Centers…
SOAR Act: Help Those Who Struggle to Breathe
Living on the Space Coast, where sending rockets into orbit is a regular occurrence, you’d think innovation knows no bounds. If we can send people into space, surely, we can make the latest healthcare technologies available to patients struggling to breathe! Sadly, that is not the case for many patients in need of medical oxygen….
World Oxygen Day: National Health Groups Amplify Patient Voices to Stress Importance of Oxygen Reform
WASHINGTON, DC – (October 2, 2025) – Today, in honor of World Oxygen Day (October 2), leading patient, provider, and professional organizations are amplifying the voices of people on supplemental oxygen to stress the critical importance of oxygen reform and the urgent need for legislative action. These advocates, representing the 1.5 million people in the U.S. who rely…
Lung Patient Community Calls for Supplemental Oxygen Reform
Mary was diagnosed with a rare lung disease at 40 years old. Beverly loves playing tennis but struggles to do so with an oxygen tank. Sarah’s active lifestyle depends on access to liquid oxygen so that she can leave the house for more than a few hours. These stories are similar to many more shared on Capitol Hill for the American…