CQRC seeks better system for ‘long haul’ 

WASHINGTON – As home respiratory providers look past the current public health emergency, they need to have the flexibility and stability to continue caring for patients, says Crispin Teufel, chairman of the Council for Quality Respiratory Care. 

“We’ve started to have initial discussions on what happens when this is over,” said Teufel, who is also CEO of Lincare. “If you have set up a patient with COVID, do they need to get re-qualified? What happens if there is an easement of waivers? There needs to be a discussion around grandfathering those patients and not making life hell for the patient and the physician.” 

The CQRC submitted testimony addressing these concerns as part of a recent hearing on “The Long Haul: Forging a Path Through the Lingering Effects of COVID-10” held by the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health.  

What the HME industry needs first and foremost is a stable respiratory environment, says Teufel. 

“Whether rural or metro, stable reimbursement is vital and necessary and not the fear of what the next round of competitive bidding is going to look like,” he said. “We need stable reimbursement and we need to make sure there is enough capacity. It feels like everyone is going back to normality but look outside the US, look at India. No one knows what is going to happen next.” 

The CQRC also supports eliminating the need for contractors to review individual medical records or, alternatively, establishing a prior authorization process for home respiratory therapy. It’s objectively clear when a patient needs oxygen and there are better ways to weed out fraud and abuse, says Teufel. 

“The whole concept of second guessing (the physician) is mind boggling,” he said. “The physician wants the patient on oxygen therapy and then the MAC or whoever (comes in) and creates unnecessary (work).”