Congress is now debating a large Medicare package that includes both cuts in payment for the home oxygen as well as requiring Medicare patients to assume ownership for the oxygen equipment after 18months of renting the equipment (currently they assume all responsibility after 36 months- something we also oppose).

The Medicare home oxygen benefit has suffered numerous cuts in recent years, and the continued attack on the benefit will severely hurt the ability of homecare providers to maintain the current level of patient-centered services and quality care provided to patients.  A significant decrease in Medicare payments for oxygen therapy, which Congress is now considering will result in reductions in services such as: 24-hour on-call service, delivering supplies, maintaining oxygen equipment, visits by a respiratory therapist, and assessing, training, and educating patients. Reducing the payments for home oxygen equipment simply means there will be fewer of these services provided, and patients will no longer be able to receive the patient-centered care that is currently provided.

What can you do? Write or email your member of Congress and your two Senators.

By clicking the links below, you can either print off a copy of the two letters and send them by US mail, or copy and paste them into an email, filling in your personal information such as your city and state.

House Version

Senate Version

The link from the previous page, Contact Congress tells you how to find the mailing or emailing address of your Senators and your Representative.