CQRC Supports Bipartisan Bill to Protect Patients on Non-Invasive Ventilators

SMART Act delays inclusion of NIV in the Medicare DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program.

Washington, DC, November 08, 2019 --(PR.com)-- The Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC) -
a coalition of the nation's leading home oxygen therapy provider and manufacturing companies -
commends a bipartisan bill recently introduced in the House of Representatives that will help ensure
America's most vulnerable respiratory patients receive uninterrupted access to the non-invasive
ventilators (NIV) they need to live.

The Safeguarding Medicare Access to Respiratory Therapy (SMART) Act of 2019 would protect
Medicare beneficiaries' access to critical home ventilation therapy by delaying the inclusion of ventilators
from the Medicare durable medical equipment competitive bidding program for five years. It would also
establish a technical expert panel (TEP) to update national coverage policies for home mechanical
ventilator devices so that they reflect technological advancements and peer-reviewed science.

The bipartisan legislation, which was introduced by Representatives Morgan Griffith (R-VA) and Peter
Welch (D-VT), is designed to address potential access issues expected to arise from the inclusion of NIV
in the Competitive Bidding Program beginning next year as finalized in the Medicare Durable Medical
Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, & Supplies (DMEPOS) Final Rule for CY2020.

NIV stakeholders - from suppliers to patients - worry that the program's untested methodology could
cause disruptions in the market for this critical, life-sustaining equipment.

“We commend Congressmen Griffith and Welch for their dedication to ensuring vulnerable patients get
the care they need,” said Dan Starck, Chairman of CQRC. “Since it is not clear how this new, untested
competitive bidding program will affect home oxygen suppliers and their patients, it is inappropriate to
include non-invasive ventilation in the system at this time. We applaud this pro-patient legislation, which
promotes a cautious, evidence-based approach to covering critical supplies like NIV.”

Congress has long been concerned about patients' access to NIV. In a letter submitted to CMS in June,
180 House lawmakers, including Reps. Griffith and Welch, wrote, “Ventilators are highly specialized and
care-intensive devices that allow fragile, medically complex patients to remain in their home,” and, “Even
brief delays in access to clinical ventilator support can prove dangerous or even fatal and would likely
mean patients are no longer able to receive their care at home.”

“We urge Congress to quickly pass the SMART Act so that respiratory care to those living with COPD,
ALS, and other debilitating diseases, and depend on an NIV to breathe, will not be disrupted,” added
Starck.

About the Council for Quality Respiratory Care

The CQRC is a coalition of the nation's seven leading home oxygen therapy provider and manufacturing
companies. To learn more, visit cqrc.org and follow CQRC on Twitter at @TheCQRC.

Page 1/2
PR.com Press Release Distribution Terms of Use
Contact Information:

Ellen Almond
703-548-0019
Contact via Email
http://cqrc.org/

Online Version of Press Release:

You can read the online version of this press release at: https://www.pr.com/press-release/799086

Page 2/2
PR.com Press Release Distribution Terms of Use