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Senator Charles Grassley
135 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-1501
Subject: Patients need Respiratory
Therapists in Home Health
I am a respiratory therapist practicing in
the state of Iowa.
Please introduce the
following language as legislation that would amend the
Medicare home health services benefit by adding the following
language to section 1861(m) of the Social Security Act:
"For purposes of
paragraph (1) and (2), the services of a respiratory therapist
may be construed to be the services of a registered
professional nurse or a physical therapist when such skilled
nursing or physical therapy services are part of a home health
plan of care and are also within a respiratory therapist’s
scope of practice."
Patients need Medicare legislative language
which would permit home health agencies to use respiratory
therapists, when appropriate, in the provision of respiratory
home health services. RT services now, can only be provided by
home health agencies with a nurse or a physical therapist
(which are not specifically trained medical personnel in the
field). Respiratory therapists would not be reimbursed
directly, this provision would not increase costs. what would
happen is a respiratory therapist would be substituted for a
nurse or physical therapist when respiratory therapy is called
for.
Please help the Medicare pulmonary home care
patients receive quality care by the most appropriate health
care professionals. As a concerned respiratory therapist, I
and other therapists in Iowa would be very grateful for any
support that you can provide.
Thank you for reading my letter and your
consideration in this matter.
Sincerely, |
