Archive: November 2007
Industry meets CMS administrator
November 30, 2007HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - Representatives from the HME industry had a "positive meeting" with Kerry Weems, CMS's acting administrator, Oct. 24.
"We didn't expect any major policy decisions to come out of it, but we wanted to raise his awareness," said Alan Landauer, chairman of both AAHomecare and Landauer Metropolitan in Mount Vernon, N.Y. "Now he knows our positions on certain issues aren't that far apart."
Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., helped to secure the hour-long meeting with Weems. On the agenda: issues concerning...
Scooter Store, HealthPlus partner
November 30, 2007HME News Staff
NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas - The Scooter Store will serve the power wheelchair and scooter needs of HealthPlus of Michigan's 200,000-plus members, the provider announced Oct. 25. The members have commercial, Medicare Advantage, HealthPlus Partners Medicaid and HealthPlus Insurance Company (PPO) plans. In 2006, U.S. News and World Report cited HealthPlus as one of "America's Best Health Plans." Since 2001, The Scooter Store's 's Managed Care Division has racked up more than 90 partnerships covering more...
Oxygen study sets provider benchmarks
November 30, 2007HME News Staff
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Industry consultant Tom Williams e-mailed a 31-question survey to 4,300 HME providers this past summer (339 or 9% responded) to find out how they viewed new technology designed to reduce oxygen deliveries. Some of the data surprised him. Specifically:
* 80% of the respondents said they make, on average, two or more oxygen deliveries (liquid or gas) to patients each month. This indicates that portable oxygen concentrators and transfilling concentrators, which are intended to increase...
Quiet launch for Dey's new respiratory drug
November 30, 2007HME News Staff
NAPA, Calif. - Dey Laboratories launched its newest respiratory medication, Perforomist, Oct. 8, but providers, wary of reimbursement upheavals over the last several quarters, are lukewarm on the product.
"We're going to try Perforomist because it's got a better shelf life," said Sam Jarczynski, president of RxStat in St. Petersburg, Fla. "But the drug is very expensive and the profit is so little. We have to have so much cash outlay on the drug that we are not promoting it. We'll have it to fill...
Trick or Treat? OIG dishes a trick
November 30, 2007HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - On Halloween, an old ghost came back to haunt the rehab industry.
After comparing Internet and Medicare prices for power mobility devices, the Office of Inspector General released a report Oct. 31 that questions whether current fee schedule amounts--already cut last year by 27%, on average--are appropriate. The OIG stated that Medicare prices were 45% higher, on average, than median Internet prices for 28 codes. The Medicare price for the most commonly prescribed power wheelchair, the...
No doubt: Here's an Inspired product
November 30, 2007HME News Staff
HUNTINGDON, Pa. - Sales representatives for Inspired Technologies are looking for a specific type of provider to handle the company's new VIAspire Liquefier liquid oxygen manufacturing system.
"We're going to be choosy about who we work with," said President and CEO Dan Easley, who described the ideal provider as "someone who is clearly tired of me-too products and who is looking for a compelling strategy that distinguishes them in the marketplace."
Company officials describe the VIAspire as "a liquid...
Pacific Pulmonary plans Kentucky service center
November 30, 2007HME News Staff
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Pacific Pulmonary Services plans to build a new service center in Lexington, Ky., the Lexington Herald Leader reported in late October. In return, the state will give the provider $2.5 million in tax incentives. Pacific Pulmonary plans to hire 241 employees at hourly wages of $9.50 to $23.27 to staff the new center. The Bakersfield, Calif.-based Pacific Pulmonary provides home oxygen therapy and respiratory medications through more than 100 care centers in 14 states.
'Dutchman' flies with Pride Mobility
November 30, 2007HME News Staff
ST. PAUL, Minn. - Robert VanVranken recently completed a 1,500-mile trip from St. Paul, Minn., to New York City--on a Pride Legend power wheelchair, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The 49-year-old VanVranken, known as "The Rolling Dutchman," made the trip to raise awareness and money for veterans issues. VanVranken, who is not a veteran, lost his left leg after a Metro Transit bus hit him last year. During his trip, VanVranken stopped at veterans hospitals, memorials and Veterans of Foreign...
'We need everyone charged up'
November 30, 2007HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - With 2007 drawing to a close, the HME industry is still well short of its goal to collect 200 co-sponsors for H.R. 1845, a bill that would lessen the blow of national competitive bidding. The industry needs that many co-sponsors, industry sources say, for the bill to ride the coattails of any future legislation.
In early November, the Tanner-Hobson bill had 134 co-sponsors.
"We're plugging away, but, this go around, we're struggling to get members involved and Congressmen signed on,"...
Legislators show some 'sympathy'
November 30, 2007HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - CMS received 6,300 certified bids for the first round of national competitive bidding, one of the agency's officials told a subcommittee of the House Small Business Committee at a standing-room only hearing on Oct. 31.
Although that number's higher than the industry's estimate of 2,000 bids, it's still much lower than CMS's estimate of 15,000 bids. But Laurence Wilson, director of the agency's Chronic Care Policy Group, told subcommittee members that CMS was closer to its target than...