The Bitner Plante Initiative which funds the ALS Certified Centers of Excellence across Florida received $800,000 to continue our mission for the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

A coalition of patient, clinician, and provider groups – including the ALS Association, the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC), the National Association for Medical Direction of Respiratory Care (NAMDRC), American Association for Homecare (AAHC), and the Council for Respiratory Care (CQRC) – today commend Representatives Morgan Griffith (R-VA) and Peter Welch (D-VT) for introducing legislation to protect Medicare beneficiaries’ access to critical home ventilation therapy. The Safeguarding Medicare Access to Respiratory Therapy (SMART) Act of 2019 would delay the inclusion of ventilators from the Medicare durable medical equipment competitive bidding program for five years, and establish a technical expert panel (TEP) to update that national coverage policies for home mechanical ventilator devices so that they reflect technological advancements and peer-reviewed science.