Dealer/Provider spoke with Christian Kiely, homecare product manager, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, Laguna Hills, Calif, about the new reimbursement code for heated CPAP tubing, and how the industry can work to keep reimbursement up to pace with technology.

Dealer/Provider: What changes have recently occurred at Fisher & Paykel Healthcare?

Kiely: Last year we introduced the SleepStyle™ 600 CPAP Series with ThermoSmart™ technology. Effective January 1, 2006, a new reimbursement code was introduced that covers the ThermoSmart CPAP tube (HCPCS A4604 “Tubing with integrated heating element for use with positive airway pressure device”). We are excited about this new coding because it will allow home care providers to offer patients a more comfortable therapy while keeping business fundamentals in line with conventional CPAP systems.

DP: How can the industry continue to get better reimbursement as technology continues to improve?

Kiely: I suppose the answer is about results. When technologies have proven benefits, we tend to see reimbursement follow along. For instance, in July 2002 a new code was implemented for heated humidification. This followed 7 years of research and efficacy studies that demonstrated a high incidence of nasal symptoms in CPAP patients, and pointed to greater acceptance and compliance rates with the use of heated humidification.

DP: How did the SleepStyle 600 evolve?

Kiely: After years of experience with conventional heated humidification, limitations have been discovered in condensation control and coping with the increased flow associated with mask or mouth leaks. Unfortunately, we cannot control the environment in which a patient sleeps, and most patients are not achieving optimal humidity levels. Fisher & Paykel Healthcare has been a leader in humidification technology, so it seemed logical to see what kinds of solutions we could bring to CPAP humidification. We were able to take some of the technology we had used in our hospital humidifiers, such as heated wire circuitry and flow compensation, and integrate them into a CPAP device. By adding a heating element to the circuit, we are able to maintain stable tube temperatures from chamber outlet to patient. The result is a greater level of comfort and control for patients. DP