Hi,

Our most vulnerable population with COPD doesn't currently have access to respiratory therapist after hospital discharge to a skilled nursing center . CMS doesn't recognize the need for these residents to have access to RTs , they think nursing can do it . Report after report shows the benefit of respiratory therapist involved with copd patients post acute hospital discharge . We have to lobby and fix this problem . If you truly want to decrease the cost to the system of hospital readmissions and provide the care our copd population need then this needs to be addressed asap. Medicare cant expect nursing homes to afford the cost of having an RT when there is no reimbursement just like they wouldn't have PT, OT or speech therapy if Medicare didn't reimburse for the service . Lets truly affect change and help our patients by getting RTs back into the skilled nursing centers . Thanks