Medicare adopts new nationwide coverage policy for The Vest airway clearance system

Please note: This article originally appeared on our www.lungsforlife.org site and is being re-posted to the new Lungs for Life Breathe Blog (www.lungsforlife.info). Please take a moment and update your bookmarks with our new website link. Thank you.

Medicare has adopted a new nationwide coverage policy for high-frequency chest wall oscillation medical equipment. The policy covers the use of The Vest system for patients with cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, and, upon case-by-case review, others fighting respiratory conditions. Below I have attached a copy of our press release dated today. For a complete overview of the policy please visit http://www.thevest.com.

This is tremendous news. Combined with our current policies – shipping The Vest system upon prescription, 30-day in-home trials, patient training, comprehensive reimbursement support and a lifetime warranty – this policy will help make the device immediately accessible to all your patients in need. And now the reimbursement process has just become easier for your Medicare patients – and for us. For that, we all have reason to celebrate.

Along with this improved coverage and easier reimbursement process your patients can have the benefit of the newest model of The Vest system, Model 104, which was just released last month. It offers the same consistent, effective airway clearance therapy as earlier models and it’s portable. Weighing only 17 pounds, it’s half the weight and one-third the size of our previous device – approximately the size of a portable audio system. It’s also digitally automated and easier to use, making it a great choice for all of your patients with airway clearance needs. And its new patient-friendly design makes it easier for patients to be compliant with your orders, resulting in improved outcomes.

Airway clearance therapy via The Vest system is an important part of the standard care regimen for patients with cystic fibrosis, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, bronchiectasis, and COPD. In the last decade more than 30,000 patients have used The Vest system in their home to successfully manage their airway clearance needs, representing over 80,000 patient years of experience.

For more information on The Vest system please visit www.thevest.com. If you would like to visit in person with a local representative, please contact us at 1-800-426-4224 or send us your comments or questions on the web at http://www.thevest.com. We look forward to serving your patients with airway clearance needs. Thank you for your interest and support.

Sincerely,

Elden H. Russell
President, Advanced Respiratory

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NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Advanced Respiratory applauds Medicare’s adoption of a nationwide coverage policy for The Vest airway clearance system

New coverage policy will help patients with cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis and other respiratory conditions breathe easier

ST. PAUL, Minn., June 16, 2003 – Advanced Respiratory, manufacturer and distributor of The Vest™ airway clearance system, today reported that Medicare has adopted a nationwide coverage policy for the use of durable medical equipment that provides high-frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) therapy.

The coverage policy applies to patients with cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis, and, on a case-by-case review, patients with other respiratory diseases or conditions.

“We applaud Medicare’s decision, as it will have tremendous impact on the health and quality of life of Medicare patients who are fighting to breathe," said Elden Russell, president and CEO of Advanced Respiratory. "With The Vest system, patients can easily and effectively remove trapped secretions from their lungs. This leads to easier breathing, less infections and hospitalizations, and improved health." Medicare is one of over 1,100 insurers that pay for The Vest system.

The Vest Airway Clearance System

The Vest system is a small and powerful, but gentle medical device – employing HFCWO technology – used in patients’ homes to provide airway clearance therapy. Approximately the size of a portable audio system, the device consists of an inflatable vest attached to an air-pulse generator. The generator rapidly inflates and deflates the vest, compressing and releasing the chest wall 5-20 times per second to create airflow within the lungs. Its gentle pressure moves trapped mucus from the smaller airways in the lungs to the larger airways, where it can be removed through coughing or suctioning. The action also works to thin thick secretions, making them easier to clear.

Advanced Respiratory Inc., headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., is the privately-held manufacturer and distributor of The Vest airway clearance system. For more information about the types of patients that could benefit from The Vest system, Advanced Respiratory and its products and services, visit the company’s Web site, http://www.thevest.com.

Contact:
Kerstin March, Advanced Respiratory, 651.234.1633

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Advanced Respiratory Announces FDA Approval for The Vest

Please note: This article originally appeared on our www.lungsforlife.org site and is being re-posted to the new Lungs for Life Breathe Blog (www.lungsforlife.info). Please take a moment and update your bookmarks with our new website link. Thank you.

The new Vest system Model 104 gives the same consistent, effective airway clearance therapy as earlier models and it's portable. Weighing only 17 pounds, it's half the weight and one-third the size of our previous device. It's also digitally automated and easy to use, making it a great choice for all of your patients with airway clearance needs. The new patient-friendly design will make it easier for your patients to be compliant with your orders, resulting in improved outcomes.

The Vest system has become part of the standard care regimen for patients with cystic fibrosis and is rapidly becoming the airway clearance therapy of choice for patients with cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, bronchiectasis, and COPD. In the last decade, more than 30,000 patients have used The Vest system to successfully manage their airway clearance needs, representing over 80,000 patient years of experience.

As a company, we have worked hard to earn your confidence and appreciate your support of The Vest system. And our commitment to you and your patients remains as strong as ever. Along with the introduction of the new Model 104, Advanced Respiratory will continue to offer immediate shipments, 30-day in-home trials, patient training, comprehensive reimbursement support, and a lifetime warranty.

We are excited about our newest model of The Vest system and the opportunity it affords patients and caregivers to benefit from effective airway clearance therapy. We trust you will also be delighted as you see the new device and hear the success stories from your patients.

Sincerely,

Elden H. Russell
President, Advanced Respiratory

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NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FDA clears new medical device for nine million Americans with chronic lung disorders

Gentle Vest therapy replacing old “pounding” chest physical therapy in home

ST. PAUL, Minn., May 19, 2003 – Breathing comes naturally to everyone – but for millions of people, it does not come easily. For the nine million Americans fighting chronic lung disorders and diseases such as cystic fibrosis (CF), cerebral palsy (CP), muscular dystrophy (MD), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Advanced Respiratory, Inc. today announces U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance for The Vest™ airway clearance system Model 104. This small and powerful, but gentle medical device – employing high frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) technology – is used in patients’ homes to replace manual chest physical therapy (CPT).

The Vest Airway Clearance System

When people catch the common cold, they usually become congested and have more difficulty breathing. Fortunately, the body is able to move the congestion, or excess mucus, out of the lungs by coughing so the individual can breathe easily again.

Breathing is not effortless, however, for those people whose disease creates more mucus than the body can remove naturally, or for those who have an impaired cough reflex. When mucus is trapped in the lungs, it creates an ideal breeding ground for infection. This causes the body to produce more mucus. The result is a cycle of recurrent episodes of respiratory inflammation, infection and, eventually, irreversible lung damage. To stop this cycle, those individuals require effective airway clearance therapy.

CPT – the repetitive, manual pounding on an individual’s back and chest – has traditionally been used to loosen secretions in the lungs. In fact, forms of CPT have been used to help manage airway clearance disorders since the early 1900s, and became widely recognized for CF patients in the 1960s. As a modern alternative, The Vest system is gradually replacing CPT as a gentler, painless in-home therapy. The Vest system also makes airway clearance therapy possible for patients who do not have access to CPT, or for whom CPT is not recommended.

Unlike CPT, The Vest system enables patients to receive airway clearance therapy without being dependent on parents or caregivers. Since The Vest system eliminates the need for pounding and positioning that is required with CPT, patients are also able to do other tasks while receiving therapy, such as nebulizer treatments, reading or working on the computer. Therapy with The Vest system is now standard care for patients with CF and is becoming recognized for CP, MD, bronchiectasis and COPD. It is reimbursed as medically necessary equipment by over 1,100 health plans and government programs across the country.

The Vest system is a medical device consisting of an inflatable vest attached to an air-pulse generator. Using HFCWO technology, the generator rapidly inflates and deflates the vest, compressing and releasing the chest wall 5-20 times per second to create airflow within the lungs. Its gentle pressure moves trapped mucus from the smaller airways in the lungs to the larger airways, where it can be removed through coughing or suctioning. The action also works to thin thick secretions, making them easier to clear.

The new model of The Vest system is smaller and more portable than the previous model. In fact, at 17 pounds, it is half the weight and one-third of the size – approximately the size of a portable audio system.

“Everyone knows that a person’s ability to breathe is vital. When breathing is impaired, it threatens your strength, your health, and in the worst case, your life," said Elden Russell, president and CEO of Advanced Respiratory. "With The Vest system, people are breathing easier. They have access to therapy that fits into their lifestyle, is easy to administer, and most importantly – improves their pulmonary health."

That could help millions of Americans breathe a little easier.

Advanced Respiratory Inc., headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., is the privately-held manufacturer and distributor of The Vest airway clearance system. For more information about the types of patients that could benefit from The Vest system, Advanced Respiratory and its products and services, visit the company’s Web site, http://www.thevest.com/.

For interviews, photographs, video or demonstrations of The Vest system, contact:
Kerstin March, Advanced Respiratory, 651.234.1633
Gwen Chynoweth, Maccabee Group, 612.337.0087

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Cystic Fibrosis Pharmacy of Florida

If you do a search for "cf pharmacy" or "cystic fibrosis pharmacy", the CF Pharmacy of Florida does not come up as the first link. BUT, if you are a savvy internet user, you know that sometimes the best of links are not always the first ones listed!

Go down a little further and you will find the title "Freedom HHCS", which also isn't very recognizable -but look at the web address link and you will see "mycfpharmacy.com". Back in 2006, a patient contacted Lungs for Life for assistance and introduced us to the CF Pharmacy. I made contact with Beverley Donelson (a.k.a. "Grandma Bev") asking for more information on the CF Pharmacy.

One of the questions I asked was for clarification on whether the CF Pharmacy of Florida was affiliated in any way with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's (CFF) pharmacy.

Bev immediately responded to my email and here is a summary of that response:

The CFF has a pharmacy. They don't run it. They subcontract the services of another Rx (pharmacy). They do not have a pharmacist (on staff). They can ONLY sell to those with CF and TX (transplant), if they have CF -and only medications.

The CF Pharmacy of Florida were the first, and for over 6 years, the only Cystic Fibrosis PHARMACY in the USA. We service folks all over the world (if their country allows).

We specialize in all Respiratory, TX meds, Diabetes meds and equipment/supplies. We also do alternative meds. We have all nutritional supplements. We do compounding to order and IV's. We also flavor meds when asked (if possible). We deliver directly to your home or address you tell us to. We send out automatically each month as requested. We call for refills for you when needed.

CF Pharmacy of Florida
www.mycfpharmacy.com
1-888-307-4427

If you still have questions after reviewing the information on their website, you may contact Beverley Donelson via email: bevd [at] hhcs (dot) com.

Feel free to comment below on your experience with the CF Pharmacy of Florida and/or additional information not already contained in this blog post.

You may also share this blog information article through any of the social sharing options below.

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Genentech Access Solutions: Pulmozyme Inhalation Solution

Genentech Access Solutions' moto is 'We focus on access so you can focus on health'.

It is without doubt they do just that. Access Solutions offers a full range of programs and services to meet the needs of patients and health care professionals. The help they provide for pharmaceutical costs and co-pays (when a Genentech medicine is prescribed) has been invaluable to thousands of patients.

The Access Solutions logo is a registered trademark of Genentech, Inc.

This assistance extends to those who are uninsured, have been denied coverage by their health plans, have concerns about co-pays or are worried about out-of-pocket expenses.

Below are just some of the services this program offers (when a Genentech medicine is prescribed):

Coverage -helps you with benefits and coverage issues such as benefits investigations and prior authorization.

Reimbursement -helps you by guiding you through denials and appeals and providing billing and coding information.

Patient assistance -can help you obtain the therapy prescribed, regardless of your ability to pay.

If you don't have insurance or you need help covering the cost of your PulmozymeR (dornase alfa) inhalation solution for the treatment of cystic fibrosis, it is worth the time to look into the Genentech Access Solutions program.

Genentech Access Solutions: Pulmozyme Inhalation Solution
http://www.genentech-access.com/pulmozyme/patients
1-866-4ACCESS

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Taking Flight -Inspirational Stories of Lung Transplantation

Lungs for Life has had a long standing relationship with Joanne Schum. When she first compiled "Taking Flight" we were thrilled for her and we received first grabs at the new copies before they hit the store. From that point forward we have always kept this book in stock and available to the cystic fibrosis and lung transplant communities. It is a valuable resource for those considering or going through lung transplantation. Learn more about the book below.

Taking Flight -Inspirational Stories of Lung Transplantation
This book is the gathering of 255 stories from around the world of those who have had a lung or heart/lung transplant. The recipients share their amazing stories. Also included are stories from caretakers and loved ones and how lung transplant changed the lives of their loved ones, and how wonderful it is to witness the new life that has taken place.

The fascinating and miraculous stories of all these individuals are just a small number of those who have received a lung transplant and now have the joy of living and breathing and being with their loved ones for many more years. Inspirational, moving and a true miracle for all these folks.

Compiled by Joanne Schum (Cystic Fibrosis Bi-Lateral Lung Recipient, September 12, 1997). Authored by Lung Recipients Around the World.

Released: July 6, 2006 | ISBN-10: 1553696840
Purchase Taking Flight: Inspirational Stories of Lung Transplantation through Amazon.

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The Butterfly: A Symbol of Lung Transplant

I love butterflies and how appropriate the butterfly has also become the symbol of lung transplant. If you have cystic fibrosis, at some point your doctor will discuss with you the need for a lung transplant. It is my hope the following story behind the symbol of newly transplanted lungs will provide you with hope and inspiration as you begin your transplant journey.

The Butterfly: Life has wings...or rather life should have wings. When Cystic Fibrosis damages the lungs with scarring from past infections, and antibiotics no longer give the relief they once did, and the quality of life is stalled, or the length of life is shortened when you are told, "you have only a couple of years left", you want those wings back to fly. Lung Transplantation is the option to get those wings once again and live your life dreams.

For those who are fortunate enough to witness the actual lung transplantation surgery, they will describe it as a moving experience that is emotional and awe inspiring. When the old lungs are removed, appearing much like raw liver, and the new lungs are taken from the cooler they have been transported in, the light pink, white new lungs are in such contrast to the old. But the more breath taking experience is to see the new lungs take life when they are connected. It is described as "like beautiful butterfly wings, opening for the very first time, they expand and you can see the beauty in life and in good lungs".




Like butterfly wings opening for the first time, so is the size and shape of the new lungs...a comparison that has great meaning to those with Cystic Fibrosis who get the gift of new lungs and a chance to live their dreams.

As you consider and journey through transplant, read inspiring stories of transplant survivors. Taking Flight -Inspirational Stories of Lung Transplantation is available through Amazon.

Interested in submitting your personal transplant journey for consideration on our website or blog? I'd love to hear from you! Just contact us for details.

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