Lobbying: What Have You Done For Me Lately?

• By Deborah Cooper
• Sep 01, 2006

Two industry coalitions are working hard to raise awareness of the issues and reverse some of the most challenging legislation the industry has seen in recent years.

Last Chance for Patient Choice (LCPC)
LCPC was established by VGM to advocate for the industry. It aims to follow the example of other lobbying efforts, such as the Swiftboat Veterans, by producing grainy, hard-hitting, educational ads, which initially ran in Congressman Bill Thomas’ (R-Calif.) district. “This was the first time our industry started poking back. That was the whole concept behind LCPC. It was time to stand up as an industry, and say, ‘We’re not going to keep taking the knock,’” explains John Gallagher, VP government relations, VGM.

LCPC has a three-step approach:
1.    Develop legislative champions for the industry.
2.    Promote greater activity at the grassroots level. During the week of July 28-Aug. 7, members met with elected officials at their home offices across the country as part of a Meet and Greet Congressional Marathon.
3.    LCPC plans to bring a lawsuit when the MSA’s have been identified.

The group also plans to tackle other issues, such as physician reimbursement, and plans to keep working into the future: “Our whole focus is not just the here and now, it’s five years from now,” says Gallagher.

Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC)
“We view it as a platform from which to initiate productive dialogues and begin to generate credible high quality data on the value of home respiratory therapy,” says Chris Kane, VP government affairs, Pacific Pulmonary Services, regarding the formation of the CQRC. “For instance, the government’s own Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) issued a report in 2004 which demonstrates that home oxygen therapy reduces hospitalizations and shortens the length of hospital stays.” This is precisely the sort of information that needs to be introduced into legislative and policy dialogues in Washington, and it is the responsibility of the industry to play a constructive role in making that possible.”

Eleven oxygen manufacturers and providers have joined forces to educate the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) about the “clinical and operational complexities” involved with home oxygen therapy. They are: Pacific Pulmonary, Praxair, Inc., Respironics, Inc., Rotech, Sunrise Medical, Inc., Airsep Corporation, Air Products, American HomePatient, Apria, Invacare Corporation and Lincare.

“We as an industry need to work collectively with both CMS and Congress to make sure that the roughly one million Medicare oxygen patients continue to get access to the quality respiratory care they need,” explained John Ledek, VP and category manager, Respiratory, Invacare. “This is the vehicle to do that. By forming the CQRC we can coordinate our efforts, and ultimately, this gives us the best shot of being able to do that.”

The CQRC issued a public statement to CMS regarding the July 26 new oxygen reimbursement proposal. Peter Kelly, CEO of Pacific Pulmonary and chair of the CQRC, stated the group’s concern that the proposal will “have a negative impact on providers’ ability to assure access to the level of care and services beneficiaries expect and deserve.”

This article originally appeared in the Respiratory Management Sept/Oct 2006 issue of HME Business.