Oppose SB1052: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Assisted Living Facilities

I urge you to oppose SB1052 when it comes before the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Wednesday. This bill would authorize assisted living homes and centers to provide hyperbaric oxygen therapy to residents when ordered by a physician, but it raises serious concerns about both medical appropriateness and fiscal responsibility. Senator Wendy Rogers has pursued state funding for hyperbaric oxygen therapy applications for several years despite limited evidence supporting its use beyond treating decompression sickness from scuba diving. When lawmakers attempted to include similar provisions in the 2022 state budget, Governor Ducey exercised his first line-item veto specifically on this item, citing a lack of public support for the expenditure. The financial implications are substantial. Some for-profit management companies charge approximately $450 for a single two-hour hyperbaric oxygen therapy session when treating serious infections. Allowing this therapy in assisted living facilities, where residents are often covered by state programs, creates significant potential for inappropriate billing practices and fraudulent use of state funds. Assisted living residents are particularly vulnerable populations who may not be able to advocate effectively for themselves when presented with expensive treatment options. The medical necessity of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for typical assisted living residents remains questionable. This therapy has established efficacy for decompression sickness, but its application to other conditions lacks the same level of clinical support. Authorizing its use in assisted living settings without stronger evidence of benefit puts residents at risk of receiving unnecessary treatments while exposing state healthcare programs to inflated costs. Arizona taxpayers deserve assurance that state-approved medical treatments in licensed facilities are both medically sound and fiscally responsible. SB1052 fails both tests. I ask that you vote no on this legislation in committee and prevent it from advancing further.