I've been saying for a while now that the next great frontier for respiratory care is expanding into the outpatient world. It's not a tremendous secret, of course; we've been banging our heads against the wall with bills to enable payment for our services under Medicare Part B for several years now, and the proposed telehealth bill fits under that realm, too.
Hospitals, driven by the desire to cut readmissions (lest they lose out on some of those Medicare reimbursement payments), are starting to listen. Progressive facilities and systems across the country are streamlining COPD pathways, developing specialty clinics, and finding other new and interesting ways to put RTs to work saving money. As Medicare and other payers shift more toward value-based purchasing models, where payments are more linked to performance and quality measures rather than volume, the efficiency that RTs bring to practice can open a lot more of these doors.
But we have a problem.
At the precise time this window is opening, interest in the post-acute world seems to be waning. According to Zach Gantt, President of the Tennessee Society for Respiratory Care and Chair-Elect of the AARC Home Care Member Section, membership in this section is dropping so low that per AARC bylaws, the section will lose its seat on the AARC Board of Directors at the end of 2015. This means an integral and expanding specialty for respiratory care practitioners across the country may have a much smaller national voice, and far less input on strategic decisions.
So my challenge to you is simple...come join us! The profession desperately needs a strong post-acute contingent to round out our continuum of care and open up new possibilities. No matter what your current practice setting is, your voice is welcome at the table, and it's only $15. If you're already an AARC member, you can add section membership to your existing dues online or over the phone. If you're not a member of the AARC, now is a perfect time to join. I know many therapists have had reservations about membership, but the only way to make things better is for all of us to join in and speak up, and this is the best way to accomplish that.
We haven't always been savvy enough to take advantage of the opportunities we've been presented as a profession over the years. But we've got a prime one staring us right in the face. Let's not miss this one.