Archive: December 2002
Democrats are better for HME industry
December 31, 2002HME News Staff
Democrats better serve the interests of the HME industry. Democrats ideologically support government- sponsored healthcare insurance programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIPS. Republicans, on the other hand, are ideologically opposed to entitlement programs - generally favoring funding cuts on a routine basis, and seeing such programs as a politically necessary evil, at best. While some Democrats support the competitive bidding proposal (NCB) as a way to reduce beneficiary co-pays, Republicans...
Briefs
December 31, 2002HME News Staff
MED Group names new director
LUBBOCK, Texas - The MED Group (MED) has hired Jacquelyn M. McClure as its new director of National Respiratory Network and Government Relations. She will manage MED's National Respiratory Network as well as assist in various legislative and regulatory areas. Prior to joining MED, she spent 11 years at Respironics with stints as manager of training/medical dducation, manager of reimbursement services and manager of government relations. McClure replaces Joe Lewarski,...
Acquisition
December 31, 2002HME News Staff
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Allied Capital Corp launched its second foray into the HME market last month, and if this deal turns out as well as the company's first HME venture, stockholders in the $2.3 billion investment company will be jumping for joy.
Allied first entered the HME market about two years ago, when it invested $7.5 million in American Homecare Supply, which industrial gas giant Air Products acquired in October for a whopping $165 million.
Last month, Allied and four other investors acquired...
Wheelchair demo gets off ground
December 31, 2002HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - The wheelchair voucher demonstration, which was set to take off last summer, is now getting off the ground, because CMS has had bigger fish to fry.
CMS has granted four Centers for Independent Living (CIL) $150,000 to school beneficiaries on how to chose a wheelchair and how to negotiate its price. It then directed the centers to provide beneficiaries with a voucher to purchase a wheelchair from a provider.
But industry sources said the three-year demo - dubbed the consumer-directed...
Finance
December 31, 2002HME News Staff
Payment discount factor
WITH DON CLAYBACK
Q: My vendors offer payment discounts, depending on when I make payment. How do I determine which to take advantage of?
A: Each day decisions must be made on what bills to pay. Something that should always be considered is the cost of not paying an invoice in time to take advantage of an available discount. A lost discount is an interest charge.
To measure the cost of missing a discount, the annualized interest rate must be calculated. The formula to determine...
Briefs
December 31, 2002HME News Staff
Independent providers turn on the tube
TOPSHAM, Maine - Hoping to better compete against competitors, Majors Mobility bought more space in newspapers and more time on TV in 2002. Tyrrell Hunter, president of Majors Mobility, said the company spent 20% more on advertising last year. "I'm a firm believer that competition is healthy," Hunter said. "We've just had to work toward our strengths, minimize our weaknesses, up our advertising budget and go one-on-one with our competition." Hunter said that...
CMS needs’s inside POV
December 31, 2002HME News Staff
If CMS wants to run trials of competitive bidding and its effects, perhaps the administration should consider an insider's point of view. CMS should build a test HME company and monitor the effects of competitive bidding within. CMS must realize that we not only supply products, but the heart of the HME is in providing services. NCB will surely cut into our hearts and only a test company will demonstrate that.
- Sunil Kamath, president of MediHealth DME
Industry can prevail in fight to defeat NCB
The...
Region D DMERC sneers at snail mail
December 31, 2002HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - A sketchy proposal by CMS to modify the CMN process by licensing the DMERC's right to require “supporting documentation…to make appropriate claims determinations” is worrying HME industry insiders who fear that the proposed change could create even more confusion.
Published Nov. 18 in the Federal Register, the proposed revision to the CMN would require suppliers and physicians to “supply additional routine supporting documentation” on an as-needed basis. CMS...
Region D DMERC sneers at snail mail
December 31, 2002HME News Staff
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Region D DMERC has expanded its efforts to give providers more timely access to its quarterly DMERC Dialogue and Supplier Manual by providing it via e-mail.
In August, Cigna Medicare began beta testing the technology with roughly 2,000 providers. Cigna let other providers sign up for the e-mail program at Medtrade. Those in the beta test receive the DMERC Dialogue and Supplier Manual two to three weeks before subscribers to the printed publications.
That's a big advantage,...
Briefs
December 31, 2002HME News Staff
Ed Wissing joins PSA as board chairman
NORCROSS, Ga. - Former American HomePatient CEO Edward K. Wissing has been appointed chairman of the board of directors of Pediatric Services of America, Inc. Current Chairman, CEO and President Joseph D. Sansone decided that his dual role as chairman and CEO should be separated, given the current challenges facing public companies. He proposed appointing Wissing chairman of the board, and the board voted unanimously in agreement. Sansone will remain as a member...