When I went to my oxygen supplier, the other day, I sat down and chatted with the location's manager.  He was telling me that as of January first, there is a new regulation covering what will be covered by Medicare/Medicaid.  He just heard rumors of it, and does not know the details.

It seems that most of the new regulation concerns rented equipment, like concentrators.  He thinks it is a time limit on how long they will cover the rental.  For instance, if you are renting a concentrator, Medicare/Medicaid will only cover it for 36 months.

Then there is something about how much oxygen they will cover for the month.  He thinks it is only 3 or 6 "E" tanks per month.

He is not sure of the details, but is looking into it for me.  I am NOT covered by Medicare/Medicaid, but he told me once they adopt a set of rules, most private companies follow, like mine, Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

There is no way I could survive on 6 "E" tanks a month.  When I get oxygen, I get 4 "M" tanks, and 6 to 8 "E" tanks.  Sometimes they will last a month, but there are also times when that will only last a little more than a week.

Has anyone heard of this?

Chuck

I have not heard about it yet, but you already know what to do if needed. The Jonny approach is the only way to go.

did he talk to you at all about a cash price deal ?i know i pay 10 bucks for e-tank  i think 30 for m,,,..,.just in case it came to that,,,

-jason-

Chuck,

I think your supplier was referring to the "You Have Lived Long Enough Law":

From kansascity.com

Medicare's oxygen therapy changes opposed

“You’ve lived long enough, thank you, goodbye.” If you are one of the millions of Americans that rely on oxygen therapy to treat your lung disease, you will want to pay very close attention. If you are not on oxygen, you will want to pay attention as well due to the estimated seventy-seven million Baby-Boomers that are growing older by the minute.

Lawmakers are proposing to quit paying rental fees for oxygen equipment after the patient has been on said equipment for thirty-six months (You Have Lived Long Enough Law). Big deal, right? Exactly, it is a big deal when you consider that monthly rental fee also pays for 24-hour service, home delivery, oxygen supplies (cannulas, tubing, etc.), maintenance, and repair, as well as the equipment. Patients can still get these services from home respiratory companies, but it will no longer be included in the monthly rental fee.

Currently, Medicare pays a flat monthly rental fee to Medical Equipment providers to compensate for product and service. On January 1, 2009, if the “You Have Lived Long Enough Law” is allowed to pass, Medicare is planning on purchasing the equipment for anyone who has had the equipment for thirty-six months or longer. With ownership comes great responsibility. Equipment owners will have to manage their own equipment. They will need to perform regular maintenance, repair their equipment, purchase supplies, and pray to God that the equipment does not fail in the middle of the night.

When used as indicated, oxygen therapy has been shown to reduce the frequency and duration of hospital stays, saving the federal government millions of dollars annually. What will happen when equipment fails and a patient decides to discontinue therapy due to the fact that they do not have the time, energy, or financial resources, not to mention the capability to repair their machine?

What can be done to stop the “You Have Lived Long Enough Law?” Let your voice be heard. Contact your government representatives at all levels, especially your federal Senators and members of the House. They are interested in hearing how you feel about the “You Have Lived Long Enough Law.” Write letters, send email, and make phone calls on behalf of yourself and the ones that you love. Encourage your friends and family members to do the same. Tell your church members about the “You Have Lived Long Enough Law” and get their support. Notify your social groups. Tell the media. Don’t wait for someone else to do it, everyone needs to act now. If you don’t act, then you are telling the federal government that they are right, you have lived long enough. Don’t let the federal government control your right to quality healthcare and a better quality of life. Stand up and fight the “You Have Lived Long Enough Law”.

Submitted by cdhawley on September 26, 2008 - 7:53am.

Medicare's oxygen therapy changes opposed

“You’ve lived long enough, thank you, goodbye.” If you are one of the millions of Americans that rely on oxygen therapy to treat your lung disease, you will want to pay very close attention. If you are not on oxygen, you will want to pay attention as well due to the estimated seventy-seven million Baby-Boomers that are growing older by the minute.

Lawmakers are proposing to quit paying rental fees for oxygen equipment after the patient has been on said equipment for thirty-six months (You Have Lived Long Enough Law). Big deal, right? Exactly, it is a big deal when you consider that monthly rental fee also pays for 24-hour service, home delivery, oxygen supplies (cannulas, tubing, etc.), maintenance, and repair, as well as the equipment. Patients can still get these services from home respiratory companies, but it will no longer be included in the monthly rental fee.

Currently, Medicare pays a flat monthly rental fee to Medical Equipment providers to compensate for product and service. On January 1, 2009, if the “You Have Lived Long Enough Law” is allowed to pass, Medicare is planning on purchasing the equipment for anyone who has had the equipment for thirty-six months or longer. With ownership comes great responsibility. Equipment owners will have to manage their own equipment. They will need to perform regular maintenance, repair their equipment, purchase supplies, and pray to God that the equipment does not fail in the middle of the night.

When used as indicated, oxygen therapy has been shown to reduce the frequency and duration of hospital stays, saving the federal government millions of dollars annually. What will happen when equipment fails and a patient decides to discontinue therapy due to the fact that they do not have the time, energy, or financial resources, not to mention the capability to repair their machine?

What can be done to stop the “You Have Lived Long Enough Law?” Let your voice be heard. Contact your government representatives at all levels, especially your federal Senators and members of the House. They are interested in hearing how you feel about the “You Have Lived Long Enough Law.” Write letters, send email, and make phone calls on behalf of yourself and the ones that you love. Encourage your friends and family members to do the same. Tell your church members about the “You Have Lived Long Enough Law” and get their support. Notify your social groups. Tell the media. Don’t wait for someone else to do it, everyone needs to act now. If you don’t act, then you are telling the federal government that they are right, you have lived long enough. Don’t let the federal government control your right to quality healthcare and a better quality of life. Stand up and fight the “You Have Lived Long Enough Law”.

Submitted by cdhawley on September 26, 2008 - 7:53am.

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-Dennis-

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Nothing I've read so far says congress has passed Oxygen limits.  It appears the suppliers are trying to get their customers ready for battle though.

-Dennis-

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One step closer to third world medicine.  Money is the fabric to the umbrella, the laws define the perimiter.  the holes in the fabric are the tricks to make the fabric "stretch" farther and increase the size of the umbrella.  

Welcome to universal health care.  Please take a number and wait.  We will take care of you when we can.  You are under our umbrella  so we CAN say you are covered and being treated.  Sorry if you get wet. >:(

-P.

They do this with some stuff now - like wheelchairs. When Bill (late hubby) was here, Medicare was "renting" him a wheelchair. One day the supplier told me that Medicare wouldn't be renting it anymore. I was about to blow up when they told me that Medicare had purchased it for him and that it now belonged to him. I asked why they didn't just buy it to start with. The guy just laughed. The same with his walker, canes, Cpap machine and a lot of other stuff.

Maybe they'll just buy the tanks, but will still pay to have them refilled????

Us OLD people gotta be tuff to survive OLD AGE!!!

Hugs BD

Chuck, thanks for bringing this up, as I had not heard about this at all.

:o

Wishing you well,

Ray

What the hell does this sentence mean?


Quote:

This payment will be made for beneficiaries who do not receive liquid or gaseous oxygen if the supplier visits the beneficiary's home, performs any necessary maintenance and servicing, and inspects the equipment to ensure that it will function safely for the next 6 months.

The way I read it you're on the hook for two years of service/replacement cost between the 36 month rental period and the 5 year useful life expectancy of the device.  Of course this is at the end of the warantee period when most failures occur.  I imagine suppliers will react by offering gap coverage through service agreements for that two year period.

-Dennis-