Senate Introduces Medicare Respiratory Therapy Initiative

March 4, 2008

Just days away from the PACT’s Hill Days in Washington, the Senate has introduced a bill for the Medicare Respiratory Therapy Initiative, creating a new momentum for the AARC’s government affairs agenda.

S 2704 was introduced today by Senators Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Mike Crapo (R-ID). The Medicare Respiratory Therapy Initiative will help patients receive better access to health care services. HR 3968 is the House version of the bill introduced last year.

The bills will revise the Medicare law to permit qualified respiratory therapists to provide certain services, such as smoking cessation, asthma management, medication education, and inhaler training. These services will be provided to asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) patients under the general supervision of a physician, but without the doctor present under Part B Medicare law.

AARC has worked hard to educate legislators about the benefits of the bill. With this bill, patients would have access to the services of a respiratory therapist in all of the places they might seek care—doctor's office, outpatient clinic, even their own home—and have those services covered by Medicare.

Patients are lauding this legislation. Philip Leitman, co-founder of an organization that fosters awareness of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infection says that he and his wife “commend Senators Lincoln and Crapo for introducing legislation that gives pulmonary patients greater access to respiratory therapists.” Leitman’s wife suffers from the pulmonary complications of NTM.

“I’ve personally benefited from the professional care provided by respiratory therapists. As president of the COPD Foundation, I understand the importance of the profession in diagnostic and education settings,” said John Walsh president of the COPD Foundation, a group that provides education on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Senator Blanche Lincoln is a member of the Finance Subcommittee in the Senate. This influential committee tackles many important health issues. Senator Mike Crapo of Idaho is a founding member of the Congressional COPD Caucus. This group meets to consider legislation that helps COPD patients live better lives. Lincoln is also a founding member of the Caucus and worked with Crapo to introduce S 329, the Pulmonary and Cardiac Rehabilitation Act.

John Campbell, a respiratory therapist from Arkansas lauded Senator Lincoln’s leadership on the bill, “The introduction of this bill shows Senator Lincoln's continued support for Americans with respiratory disease, assuring that they will receive timely care provided by respiratory therapists.”

In Idaho, respiratory therapist Brandi Johnson praised Crapo’s work. “I thank Senator Crapo for his vision to recognize the importance of creating easier access to respiratory therapy services for Idaho Medicare patients. The Medicare Respiratory Therapy Initiative, when passed by Congress, will not only help patients with lung disease but also assist patients in rural areas throughout Idaho, to use services of the professional respiratory therapists employed by physicians.”