A public hearing held by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) heard evidence from fire safety experts, burns survivors, burns specialists, and industry experts, in favor of a new, unique reimbursement code (HCPCS Level II code) for bidirectional thermal fuses.
Richard Radford from thermal fuse manufacturer BPR Medical argued that the CMS’s preliminary decision that thermal fuses ‘are part of supplier overhead associated with furnishing oxygen equipment’ and therefore did not need a unique HCPCS code, was “inherently unreasonable” given the challenges facing the homecare industry.
Fire Chief Ray Reynolds described the impact of home oxygen fires, drawing on his personal experience, as well as the national efforts of the HOT working group.
Amy Acton, a burn survivor, burn nurse, and CEO of Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors explained the life changing implications for burn survivors.
Dr Clifford Sheckter, a burn trauma surgeon from Stanford University and Director of the Regional Burn Center in Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, discussed his work treating the injuries from burns and made a convincing economic case for a new code. He outlined his research that indicates that the policy would generate a societal saving of $305.40 million over ten years, including the costs of avoided property damage.
You can watch the full public hearing here (from 8m 10 seconds).
The CMS is expected to announce its decision in January.
