In brief: Apria taps new CEO, C&C Homecare buys Allcare

LAKE FOREST, Calif. - Apria Healthcare has named John Figueroa as its new CEO and chairman of its board of directors, according to a press release. Figueroa will also assume the position of CEO for Apria's Coram home infusion unit. Figueroa most recently served as CEO and board member of Cincinnati-based Omnicare, a pharmaceutical company. He will succeed Norman Payson, MD, who recently announced his intention to retire. Payson will continue to provide Apria with counsel as senior adviser and as a member of Apria's board of directors.

C&C Homecare buys Allcare Medical

NEW YORK - C&C Homecare, a provider of home medical equipment and respiratory services based here, has acquired Sayreville, N.J.-based Allcare Medical, according to a press release. The combined company will service patients in and around New York City, Philadelphia and New Jersey. Richard Lerner, Allcare Medical's former owner, will remain with the company as president of the New Jersey Division. “We are excited to join forces with C&C Homecare, which has the resources to adapt to the evolving market for HME while maintaining a core focus on patient care,” he stated in the release.

van Halem Group, OPGA form partnership

WATERLOO, Iowa - As part of a new partnership, the Orthotic and Prosthetic Group of America (OPGA) will now refer members who need help with audits, appeal cases, compliance and other issues related to fraud and abuse to the van Halem Group. “Never before has the orthotic and prosthetic industry been under such intense scrutiny,” stated Wayne van Halem, president of the Atlanta-based consulting firm, in a press release. The OPGA represents 1,200 locations.

Error rate hits 95% for therapeutic shoes

WASHINGTON - Ninety-five percent of claims for therapeutic shoes for persons with diabetes were denied in the third quarter of 2012, according to a prepayment review conducted by National Government Services, the DME MAC for Jurisdiction B. Of 258 claims reviewed, 246 were denied. Twenty-two percent were denied because requested documentation was not returned, while 63% were denied as not medically necessary. Some of the top issues contributing to the denials, according to the review, were lack of responses for additional documentation requests (ADR) within the required timeframe, lack of documentation from physician qualifying the foot condition, and lack of proof of delivery. Providers can review the requirements for therapeutic shoes on the National Government Services web site.

CMS posts urgent bid alert

WASHINGTON - CMS “strongly urges” bidders to read the financial document requirements in the Round 1 recompete Request for Bids (RFB) instructions and to make sure all documents meet the specific requirements. All documents must be received by the competitive bidding implementation contractor (CBIC) on or before Dec. 14, 2012. Bids that do not meet the requirements will be disqualified. It is not too late to submit corrections to financial documents that have already been submitted. Faxed or emailed documents will not be accepted.

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NorCal Respiratory buys Intermountain Respiratory

REDDING, Calif. - NorCal Respiratory, a provider of sleep apnea and respiratory equipment, recently acquired Intermountain Respiratory from Mayers Memorial Hospital District in Fall River Mills, Calif. “Our experience and success with home sleep testing and sleep apnea management has helped NorCal establish a strong presence in California's northstate medical community,” stated Jim Rehmann, president of NorCal, in a press release. “Extending those services up to the mountain regions in northeast California should come as a natural choice for medical providers and patients looking for the convenience of sleep testing at home, along with saving thousands of dollars on their medical bills.”

HME do-gooders: Amramp, Quantum Rehab, ATG, Covidien, MetroStar

For the second straight year, Amramp, a provider of wheelchair ramp systems and wheelchair-accessible showers, will provide ramps for the 2012 Capitol Christmas Tree Tour....Quantum Rehab and ATG Rehab have signed on as national partners for the 2013 Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Muscle Walk season�Covidien has donated more than $100,000 in medical supplies like diapers and gauze to AmeriCares to help victims of Hurricane Sandy�MetroStar Home Health Products is collecting new, unwrapped toys to distribute to children throughout areas affected by the hurricane.

Short takes

Promed, a healthcare representative firm, now represents the HUBSCRUB Company in the Midwest. Based in Manchester, N.H., HUBSCRUB is a manufacturer of HME cleaning and disinfection systems�A new iPhone and iPad app called iDry helps those suffering from urinary incontinence to log events, track progress, predict future success and identify factors that affect their condition.

People news

Ryan Ball has joined the VGM Government Relations Department to work on public policy issues that affect members at the state legislative level. He will be working with John Gallagher, vice president of government relations...Jose Domingos has been named CEO of the Accreditation Commission for Health Care effective Dec. 1. Previously, he was vice president of marketing and business development.