Florida may be hit hard on Medicare payments

South Florida Business Journal - 5:30 PM EDT Monday, July 9, 2007

Impending cuts to Medicare's home oxygen benefit will hit Florida harder than any other state, shows a data analysis.

A study by Avalere Health LLC found about 19,700 Florida residents would be impacted by the change. Texas is the next hardest-hit state, with 17,400 residents affected, the study found.

The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 and the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 are responsible for the pending reductions in the reimbursement rate for the home oxygen benefit, said the Council for Quality Respiratory Care, a Washington, D.C.-based group of home oxygen therapy providers and manufacturers.