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Archive: November 2003


News

Grim statistics: Cigarettes make millions sick

November 30, 2003HME News Staff

December 1, 2003 ATLANTA - An estimated 8.6 million people in the United States have serious illnesses attributed to smoking with chronic bronchitis and emphysema accounting for 59% of all smoking-attributable diseases, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report (Cigarette Smoking-Attributable Morbidity - United States, 2000) provides the first national estimates of the number of people with serious chronic illnesses caused by smoking and the total...

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Briefs

November 30, 2003HME News Staff

FBI seizes computers and files from World Med BRICK, N.J. - The FBI in November seized files and computer equipment from World Med, a power mobility provider with mostly Medicare patients, according to the Asbury Park Press. The agency seized truckloads of records pertaining to a relatively new healthcare fraud investigation based on allegations that the company had fraudulently submitted Medicare claims, said a law enforcement source. Three search warrants were issued in connection to the investigation,...

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A state of denial

November 30, 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...

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Briefs

November 30, 2003HME News Staff

Acquisition strengthens WHI's Texas presence DEERFIELD, Ill. - In keeping with its ongoing expansion plans, Walgreens Health Initiatives, through Walgreens Home Care, has acquired assets from the owners of Pinnacle Home Care, a home infusion business in San Antonio, Austin and Corpus Christi, Texas. WHI will continue to offer infusion services at these new locations with plans to introduce respiratory services and home medical equipment. The acquisition expands WHI's regional presence in Texas....

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Study links asthma and mental illness

November 30, 2003HME News Staff

December 1, 2003 YARMOUTH, Maine - Asthma patients should be closely monitored for anxiety and mental illnesses, experts say, following new evidence that the breathing condition is linked strongly to a range of psychological disorders. Researchers have found that people with asthma suffer mental illness at two to four times the rate of the rest of the population, according to the first large-scale study of the long-suspected connection. Those with continuing, severe asthma were more than twice...

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‘Wonder drug’ poses problem for albuterol

November 30, 2003HME News Staff

WASHINGTON - Two doses per day: Those four words could spell trouble for four-dose-a-day albuterol, which has dominated the respiratory market for years. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently granted conditional approval for Foradil Certihaler, a long-acting beta-agonist bronchodilator co-developed by Skye Pharma and Novartis Pharma for the treatment of asthma and prevention of bronchospasm. The drug's combination of a rapid onset time of just 1-3 minutes and a long-lasting bronchodilation...

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Raising the barcode

November 30, 2003HME News Staff

ELGIN, Ill. - The vast majority of HME providers have ignored barcoding technology, and that's too bad because they don't know what they are missing, say industry watchers. “If you are not doing it, you are wasting a lot of potential productivity,” said Pat Egan, a division president for Air Products Homecare. “You are having errors you don't need to have and entering data you don't need to enter.” About three months ago, Total Home Care added a barcoding component to its...

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Foreigners eye opportunities

November 30, 2003HME News Staff

MEDTRADE - Delegates from as far away as Kenya and Kazakhstan traveled to Medtrade this year to drum up business with U.S. manufacturers. “The delegates are very happy,” said Humphrey Lilech, a commercial specialist and one of 15 delegates from Kenya. “They are amazed at the opportunity and the products. One of the things that Kenyans accept is the quality of U.S. products.” Delegates from eight countries - Vietnam, Pakistan, Philippines, Mexico, Taiwan, Switzerland, as...

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Freedom Fighters fills niche market with women’s boutique

November 30, 2003HME News Staff

ABILENE, Texas - Freedom Fighters of Texas, a rehab provider with a knack for recognizing opportunities in disparate markets, recently leaped into the world of women's health after finding success in orthotics and diabetic supplies. “It is just looking for new markets to expand into, not putting all your eggs in one basket,” said Freedom Fighter's President and CEO Jeff Day. The opening of Intimate Illusions, a post-mastectomy service provider, has been Freedom Fighter's furthest foray...

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Sluggish sales prompt Option Care restructuring

November 30, 2003HME News Staff

BUFFALO GROVE, Ill. - Option Care's recent record of staggering revenue growth and bankable acquisitions finally faltered with the announcement in October of third-quarter losses and company restructuring. Sluggish sales for home infusion and managed care specialty pharmacy services resulted in third quarter revenue projections of just $81 million, according to company projections. Third quarter expectations had revenues topping $85.5 million. Option Care, which earned $320 million in 2002, pointed...

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