Home Oxygen Patient Protection Bill Gathers Support In Virginia, Pennsylvania, Utah, Ohio, Georgia, Oklahoma

Main Category: Caregivers / Homecare
Article Date: 01 Mar 2007 - 11:00 PDT

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Nine more members of Congress have signed on as cosponsors of the Home Oxygen Patient Protection Act, H.R. 621, bringing the total to 36 including the lead sponsor Rep. Tom Price, M.D. (R-Ga.).

The bill would return Medicare policy for home oxygen therapy to the method in effect before the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, which requires patients to assume responsibility for their oxygen system after 36 months of use and which effectively severs the oxygen patient/provider relationship at that time. Medical oxygen is a prescription drug.

The typical Medicare beneficiary who requires medical oxygen in the home is 73 years old, female, and suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the fourth-leading cause of death in the U.S. The oxygen patient bill is backed 21 Democrats and 14 Republicans after being introduced five weeks ago.

New cosponsors include U.S. Representatives Sanford Bishop, Jr. (D-Ga.), Dan Boren (D-Okla.), Rick Boucher (D-Va.), Chris Cannon (R-Utah), Paul Gillmor (R-Ohio), Virgil Goode, Jr. (R-Va.), Tim Holden (D-Penn.), Paul Kanjorski (D-Penn.), and Tim Murphy (R-Penn.).

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