By Elisha Bury
Wondering what changes are in store for respiratory providers in 2009? “I think you’re going to see providers financially struggle and some may fail, big and small,” predicts Chris Kane, COO of Pacific Pulmonary Services and spokesman for the Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC). “I think you will see the impact of very sudden and very significant reimbursement changes hitting providers and patients in a delayed fashion, so that it will be several months before many providers realize they’re being paid much, much less. How they react to that and what they do will be very uncertain but is bound to create a lot of distress for the patient community. We expect for our business that 2009 will be the most challenging year we’ve ever had
By Elisha Bury
Fact: More than 75 percent of equipment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is not reimbursed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). So, if you’re a provider fretting about the 9.5-percent cuts to CPAPs and the uncertainty with the new local coverage determinations (LCDs), fear not. The sleep market, which continues to grow as more people are diagnosed with OSA, has ample opportunities that do not rely on CMS for reimbursement.
Mary Nicholas, Executive Director, and Steven DeGenaro, RT, Director of Survey Services, HealthCare Quality Association on Accreditation
Funding Focus
By Kelly Riley
Editor’s Note: Following is Part II of a three-part series on the new LCDs for PAP therapy.