Iowa Medicaid starts paying for Firesafe Cannula Valve
By HME News Staff
Updated 8:57 AM CST, Mon December 11, 2023
CHICAGO – Iowa Medicaid began covering the Firesafe Cannula Valve under HCPCS code E0700 on Nov. 1, making it eligible for reimbursement, Sunset Healthcare Solutions has announced. The Firesafe Cannula Valve is a thermal fuse that cuts the flow of oxygen in the event that a patient’s downstream oxygen tubing is ignited. “Prevention of home oxygen therapy related fires, and education around how they can be significantly reduced, has been an initiative of Sunset’s for years,” says PJ Ruflin, vice president of business development for Sunset Healthcare Solutions, the U.S. distributor of BPR firesafe products. “This is a huge step forward in that initiative and Sunset is proud to be part of it. We look forward to continuing to be a key asset in the program and supporting our homecare partners and their patients as it continues to progress.” The chance of an oxygen fire fatality is 20 times greater in the U.S. than in England, where firebreaks have been mandatory since 2006. Veterans Affairs mandated the fitting of thermal fuses to all 85,000 home oxygen installations for veterans in 2018 and since then, grassroots efforts have since increased across the U.S., with firefighters stepping up their efforts to educate and advocate for patients.
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