Tag: Stephen Cooper
Vents: Stakeholders disagree on way forward
September 23, 2016Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON - Despite widespread agreement that the ventilator product category needs major improvements, the HME industry is divided on how that should be done.“We have a lot of support on Capitol Hill, but some of the large manufacturers and AAHomecare are opposing it,” said Stephen Cooper, counselor at K&L Gates, which has provided “technical support” to Congress for recently introduced bills that would create medical necessity standards for determining the appropriate use...
Bill seeks improvements to vent category
July 15, 2016Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON - A bill that would create medical necessity standards and boost payments for ventilators was introduced in the Senate July 14.The “Beneficiary Respiratory Equipment Access and Transparency to Home Ventilator Care (BREATH) Act of 2016” was introduced by Sens. Bill Cassidy, D-La., and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.“This is a simple bill,” said Stephen Cooper, counselor at K&L Gates, which helped draft the legislation.“It requires CMS to implement medical necessity...
Stakeholders draft legislation to fight vent changes
February 26, 2016Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON - CMS needs to dial back the wholesale changes it has made to ventilators with little input from the industry, stakeholders say.In January, CMS switched from five ventilator codes to two, and reduced reimbursement by about 33%.“When they are creating codes, providers should have some role in that,” said Stephen Cooper, counselor at K&L Gates, a law firm representing about 30 providers. “Right now, it's somewhat of a black box approach.”K&L Gates has drafted legislative...