Archive: October 2005
The new face of NRRTS
October 31, 2005HME News Staff
LARGO VISTA, Texas - The National Registry of Rehabilitation Technology Suppliers named one of the first individuals to earn its stamp of approval as the new president for 2005-07. Mike Seidel, a certified rehab technology supplier since the early 1990s and a branch manager for National Seating & Mobility, took the helm in August. He replaces Dap Lipka, who remains the organization's past president. Seidel spoke with HME News in late September to talk about his new position and the state of the rehab...
Is Oleck out at Region B? Time will tell
October 31, 2005HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - As part of CMS's reorganization of the DMERCs, Region B Medical Director Dr. Adrian Oleck could be out of a job come next March.
In early October, CMS awarded Region B's program integrity duties (fraud and abuse) - the job overseen by a region's medical director - to TriCenturion, which performs similar duties for Region A. Dr. Paul Hughes serves as medical director for TriCenturion, and in March, he will assume Oleck's job in Region B.
CMS decided earlier this year to reorganize the...
Apria Healthcare lowers expectations
October 31, 2005HME News Staff
LAKE FOREST, Calif. - Hurricane-related expenses, gas costs and reimbursement cuts for respiratory meds have squelched growth at Apria Healthcare. The HME announced in early October that revenues for the third quarter dropped to less than 1% growth over last year. While Apria claims its oxygen and enteral lines remain strong, it concedes its DME, respiratory meds and infusion therapy lines have taken a hit. As a result, the company downgraded its growth projections for 2005 to 2%-3% from 5%-6%. The...
Provider gambles on Las Vegas, wins big
October 31, 2005HME News Staff
LAS VEGAS - At last count, Las Vegas had more than 131,000 hotel rooms to accommodate the throngs that flock to the gambling mecca each year, and many of these visitors need medical equipment.
Bryan Schultz recognized this opportunity and parlayed that bet into a six-figure jackpot. Now the sky's the limit, he says.
Considered the "go-to" source for scooters, wheelchairs and oxygen by many of the city's major hotels, Schultz's Desert Medical Equipment is a familiar logo on the Strip. Among his clients...
Readers: CMS proposal 'bad idea'
October 31, 2005HME News Staff
YARMOUTH, Maine - Everyone has their two cents when it comes to CMS's proposal to drop CMNs for power wheelchair and scooter claims and replace them with prescriptions and medical records.
More than 50 of the 244 respondents to October's HME News Poll chose to elaborate on the agency's interim final rule, which was scheduled to go into effect Oct. 25, and most of their comments were negative.
"It takes a full-time employee that is educated and very knowledgeable about the correct way to fill out...
Medtrade now scheduled for Sept. 19-21
October 31, 2005HME News Staff
ATLANTA - Medtrade 2006 will take place a month earlier than previously planned to avoid overlap with religious holidays.
VNU Expositions announced in October that next year's event is now scheduled for Sept. 19-21 instead of Oct. 10-12. The venue will remain the same: the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
Before shifting the dates, VNU polled partners, including associations, exhibitors and attendees, on whether the new date conflicted with other industry events. The majority of partners...
Storage that saves
October 31, 2005HME News Staff
CHESAPEAKE, Va. - An ugly combination of increasing gas prices and decreasing reimbursement rates are forcing HME providers to get creative, and Doug Stiffler's no exception.
Stiffler, who owns First Choice in Homecare with Dave Mills and Karen Caldabaugh, has outfitted the company's 14-foot Mitsubishi box trucks with an aluminum storage system that accommodates a full inventory of home medical equipment: two beds, six wheelchairs, three concentrators and more.
"The biggest driver was the cost of...
Hobson-Tanner bill: 30 down, 170 to go
October 31, 2005HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - The HME industry is still 170 legislators shy of meeting its goal of collecting 200 co-signers for H.R. 3559, a bill intended to lessen the blow of national
competitive bidding.
AAHomecare, state associations and member groups have been waving the HME flag since July, and by the end of October, they had helped to bring on board 30 co-signers, according to Sara Perkins, press secretary for Rep. David Hobson, R-Ohio, who is sponsoring the bill.
Progress is slow, largely due to more urgent...
CMS underestimates paperwork burden
October 31, 2005HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - CMS's claim that it takes only minutes to gather documentation for power wheelchair and scooter claims is pure fantasy, according to a rehab industry survey released in late September.
CMS estimated recently that it takes providers only 12 minutes to process a claim. But on average, it takes more than three hours, according to the Restore Access to Mobility Partnership.
RAMP, a coalition of providers and manufacturers, conducted the survey to bolster its argument that CMS underestimates...
Arcadia continues DME buying spree
October 31, 2005HME News Staff
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. - Arcadia Resources has acquired Medical Equipment Company, a respiratory and durable medical equipment supplier based in Walterboro, S.C. The move marks Arcadia's entry into the South Carolina market. Arcadia is a national provider of home care and staffing services, mail-order pharmacy and durable medical equipment.