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| Wilson Wants Medicare to Help Rehabilitate Cardiac and Pulmonary Patients |
April 11, 2007 |
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Albuquerque Lawmaker Cosponsors Bill to Help New Mexico Seniors
Albuquerque, NM – Congresswoman Heather Wilson wants Medicare to help seniors who need pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitative services. The Albuquerque lawmaker announced today that she will co-sponsor H.R. 522, the Pulmonary and Cardiac Rehabilitation Act, which clarifies coverage for seniors who suffer from serious respiratory or cardiovascular ailments.
“These important services should be covered in Medicare and I have decided to support legislation in Congress to provide coverage of Pulmonary and Cardiac Rehabilitation in Medicare,” said Wilson today just before touring Presbyterian’s Healthplex, where patients receive rehab for a variety of ailments including lung and heart disease.
“Improving rehabilitation for people who have lung disease or heart disease is really important and it’s a very common sense improvement to Medicare that’s going to make it better for patients while also reducing costs long-term,” says Wilson. “Medicare is always changing and I support legislation like this that makes Medicare a better program for seniors and people with severe disabilities.”
Cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation are currently only reimbursed by Medicare under the “incident to physician services” provision as documented in the Medicare Benefit Policy Manual (20.4.1). A chronic difficulty in the interpretation of this provision has the practical effect of limiting or denying Medicare beneficiaries access to these proven services. Wilson wants to create a specific benefit category for cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation in the Medicare statute to ensure coverage for New Mexico seniors when these services are prescribed by a patient’s doctor.
Cardiac rehabilitation is prescribed for patients with a recent heart attack, bypass surgery, angioplasty or stent insertion, valve repair or replacement, heart transplant, angina (heart pain), peripheral artery disease, and heart failure. Pulmonary Rehab is prescribed for patients with COPD, lung cancer, cystic fibrosis, restrictive or interestitial lung disease, and those pre- and post- lung transplantation or lung volume reduction surgery.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the US, and COPD is the 4th leading cause of death. In 2004, 3,300 people died from heart disease. People living with CVD and COPD face serious, but preventable complications from these diseases if not managed well. Cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation are effective disease management programs. Hundreds of New Mexicans benefit from these programs annually, but Wilson says more could access cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation if a specific benefit category for these services existed in the Medicare statute.
Rep. John Lewis of Georgia is the primary sponsor of The Pulmonary and Cardiac Rehabilitation Act of 2007, H.R. 552, which now has 61 bipartisan cosponsors. Wilson says the legislation will be considered in the Energy and Commerce’s Health Subcommittee that she serves on.
“Pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation programs significantly reduce hospitalizations and use of medical resources. These programs improve their health and quality of life. We are extremely grateful that Congresswoman Wilson is taking a leading position on recognizing the value of these services for patients," said Pam Haines, Presbyterian Healthplex Pulmonary Rehab Coordinator.
“Your support will help end the patchwork of policies that has caused confusion for so long to our healthcare facilities, physicians and most importantly our pulmonary patients. Your key support is vital to the healthcare of many pulmonary patients,” said Robert Quintela, a member and past president of the New Mexico Society for Respiratory Care. Quintela was among a group of New Mexicans who met with Wilson in Washington D.C. last month to discuss the legislation.
“At the Heart Hospital our mission is to give the Southwest the very best place for healing hearts,” says Jim Silva, Vice President for Business Development at the New Mexico Heart Hospital. “Rehabilitative care for cardiac patients is important to healing hearts, so we are supportive of Rep. Wilson’s efforts to provide for this patient care through Medicare.”
“On behalf of the 18,000 members of the American Thoracic Society, I want to express our deep appreciation for Representative Wilson’s co-sponsorship of the Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation legislation,” says John E. Heffner MD - President of the American Thoracic Society. “Enactment of this legislation will ensure that appropriate Medicare beneficiaries have access to these proven cost- effective medical interventions that not only improve quality of life but can also reduce healthcare costs by keeping patients out of the hospital.”
Pulmonary Rehabilitation: For Whom? Why?
Pulmonary Rehab is prescribed for patients with COPD, lung cancer, cystic fibrosis, restrictive or interestitial lung disease, and those pre- and post- lung transplantation or lung volume reduction surgery.
Benefits of Pulmonary Rehabilitation
· Improves ability to exercise
· Improves symptoms of shortness of breath
· Improves health-related quality of life
· Reduces the number of hospitalizations and days of hospitalization for COPD (thus also reducing health care costs)
· May also reduce mortality
Cardiac Rehabilitation: For Whom? Why?
Cardiac Rehab is prescribed for patients with a recent heart attack, bypass surgery, angioplasty or stent insertion, valve repair or replacement, heart transplant, angina (heart pain), peripheral artery disease, and heart failure.
Benefits of Cardiac Rehabilitation
· Reduces cardiac mortality by 25%
· Reduces the incidence of cardiac complications
· Improves ability to exercise
· Reduces cardiovascular symptoms
· Improves cardiovascular risk factors (including blood pressure and cholesterol)
· Improves psychological well-being
· Improves health-related quality of life
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