Archive: 2003
O2 conservers/regulators steady as she flows
December 31, 2003HME News Staff
Ambulatory systems such as Helios and Venture Homefill have indeed made a huge impact on the respiratory market, but manufacturers say that success hasn't come at the expense of oxygen conservers and regulators, which remain more popular than ever. Moreover, they expect use of conservers and regulators to increase in the coming years.
“The market for conservers in our experience is exploding,” said Bob Sorbello, vice president of sales and marketing for Mada Medical, Carlstadt, NJ. “The...
On the rebound
December 31, 2003HME News Staff
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - American HomePatient (AHP) emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy July 1 under a restructuring plan that preserves the company's current management, restructures its long-term debt and ensures that all creditors and vendors will be paid 100% of what they are owed.
If that news isn't good enough, in one of its best financial showings in years, AHP's same-store sales for the first quarter of 2003 jumped $4.6 million or 5.9% compared to the first quarter of last year. The company's first...
Politics
December 31, 2003HME News Staff
HMEs & the new order
With Calvin Cole
Q. How will the accreditation portion of the Medicare bill affect HME dealers?
A. The Medicare Drug Act will dramatically change the way HME providers operate. Because of the new law, our industry has an outstanding opportunity to proactively raise the quality bar. Accreditation is first and foremost a quality improvement; it is the stamp of approval from an independent organization that verifies not only the credentials and processes utilized in our industry...
CMS ignores plea to revamp PWC codes
December 31, 2003HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - The industry entered 2004 with no change in Medicare coding for power wheelchairs, disappointing AAHomecare's rehab council, which worked long and hard dividing four power codes into six.
AAHomecare's Rehab and Assistive Technology Council proposed dividing the K0010, K0011, K0012 and K0014 codes into six new codes. The proposed codes more specifically matched a patient's clinical indicators/condition with the appropriate power chair, said Executive Director Sharon Hildebrandt.
“Our...
New CMS pilot project shows faith in DSM
December 31, 2003HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - The recent CMS announcement of a disease management pilot project aimed at improving care for the chronically ill begs the question: Is CMS buying into claims that DSM keeps patients out of hospitals, thereby reducing health care costs?
“I think this [project] does mean we have a broader acceptance of disease management as a legitimate, proactive patient-care initiative,” said Roberta Domos, owner of Domos HME Consulting Group. “So, that's very good news. It gives some...
Legal
December 31, 2003HME News Staff
Power wheelchair audits
With J. Everett Wilson
Q. My DME is facing an audit of our power wheelchair patients. Is there anything I should do to help my case?
A. With audits involving power wheelchairs, the carrier is going to be collecting information through your records, the patient's physicians' medical records and, whenever possible, the individual beneficiary. It is important to understand that the carrier will deny as many claims as possible where the beneficiary's medical condition did not...
A state of denial
December 31, 2003HME News Staff
SAN CARLOS, Calif. - Daryl Bowman can't figure it out.
Over the past few months, CMS has rejected a handful of claims and recouped from him about $2,000. It seems Bowman, who owns Bowman Medical in San Carlos, Calif., billed Medicare for some capped-rental items even though his patients had entered a skilled nursing facility (SNF).
That's a no-no.
Medicare doesn't want to pay twice for the same item, and as part of their reimbursement, SNFs provide most capped-rental items. (Technically, a provider...
Conservers
December 31, 2003HME News Staff
BURNSVILLE, Minn. - A new, independent study of oxygen conserving devices, conducted by Valley Inspired Products, has rated the performance measurements of the industry's major leading brands.
The study does not rank the 19 conserving systems evaluated or endorse an overall winner, but it does provide side-by-side comparisons of savings ratios, the amount of gas delivered per numerical setting, the amount of gas delivered per breath, and sensitivity.
The study - A Guide to Understanding Oxygen...
Unmasked! (sort of)
December 31, 2003HME News Staff
After reading your article called Masquerade, (see article) which happens to be about a conversation that you and I had, I find it appalling that you missed the point of our conversation. You and I discussed many things, but none more important then adding new people to the business that are ethical and want to get into the business because they want to help people enhance their lives, by providing good products and services. My experience, which happens to be helping the hearing impaired improve...
Briefs
December 31, 2003HME News Staff
Wall Street cuts Lincare
TAMPA - The Medicare Prescription Drug Act's cuts to respiratory therapy and medication reimbursement has prompted the Tampa Tribune to identify Lincare as a company that “could become one of the casualties of the Medicare bill.” The newspaper last Friday reported that documents filed with the Security and Exchange Commission show that 58% of Lincare's $960.9 million in revenues last year came from Medicare. After the probable cuts to DME became clear last month,...