….it’s Back!  Please take the time to read and respond to the following message from the AARC VP of External Affairs and fellow NYSSRC member Sheri Tooley:

Greeting Colleagues! It’s that time of year again and we will soon be in Washington DC to lobby. I am asking you to help the RT profession, and our patients, have access to the care and equipment that they so desperately need! This takes less than 2 minutes. Students (give them extra credit), friends, family, patients… we NEED support, we NEED to show our legislators that our patients NEED us!

This year’s top two “asks” center on telehealth and liquid oxygen. First, we are asking House members to cosponsor the Better Respiration through Expanding Access to Tele-Health Act – otherwise known as the BREATHE Act when it is introduced. We’re asking members of the Senate to introduce a companion bill. The BREATHE Act is a three-year pilot designed to demonstrate the value that telehealth RTs can add to the Medicare program for beneficiaries suffering from COPD. Second, in an effort to ensure continuity of care for home oxygen patients during Medicare’s 18-24 month suspension of the competitive bidding program, which is underway now, we are asking members of Congress to sign an upcoming letter to the Medicare Administrator directing the Medicare program to monitor patient access to liquid oxygen for those whose lives depend on it and report its findings to Congress. Ctrl click here https://p2a.co/uYFGYjc     Click on the appropriate box: Fill in 6 lines (you may edit if you like); hit send and based on YOUR zip code it will go to the appropriate Congress(person) and our Senators. It’s that easy!!