Archive: August 2008
9.5% cut: Industry seeks relief
August 31, 2008HME News Staff
WASHINGTON--The rehab industry is chasing another carve-out, this one from a 9.5% nationwide cut for all products included in national competitive bidding.
Congress passed a bill July 15 that carves out complex rehab items from competitive bidding in the future, but as one of the 10 product categories included in Round 1 of the program, they're still in line for the cut.
“A parallel carve out from the cut would make sense,” said Laura Cohen, a physical therapist and co-coordinator of...
GE Healthcare buys Vital Signs
August 31, 2008HME News Staff
TOTOWA, N.J.--GE Healthcare has acquired Vital Signs, an international provider of medical products in care areas that include anesthesia, respiratory, sleep therapy and emergency medicine, the companies announced July 24. As part of the deal, Vital Signs will become part of GE Healthcare's Clinical Systems business, which provides patient monitoring, anesthesia delivery and acute respiratory care technologies.
Industry tiptoes forward
August 31, 2008HME News Staff
WASHINGTON--With national competitive bidding delayed, the home medical equipment industry now seeks to work with CMS officials to re-shape the beleaguered program.
In addition to delaying competitive bidding for 18 to 24 months, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) requires CMS to implement certain improvements, including notifying bidders about paperwork discrepancies and giving them time to make corrections. But those improvements only go so far, industry stakeholders...
Ms. Wheelchair America crowned
August 31, 2008HME News Staff
ROCKVILLE, Md.--Michelle Colvard from Houston was crowned Ms. Wheelchair America 2009 on July 26 in Rockville, Md. Colvard, who has been disabled since birth due to spina bifida, works as the executive director of People with Disabilities, part of the mayor's office. She has a master's degree in health promotion from the University of Texas School of Public Health. She enjoys skiing and racing her Mini Cooper in autocross competitions. Colvard replaces Kristen McCosh of Boston.
Accreditation
August 31, 2008HME News Staff
Q. What area of accreditation takes the most amount of time and should be started early?
A. The amount of time it takes to complete all segments of accreditation preparation will differ between providers. But one problem area is a provider's ability to track HME items and medical supplies with lot numbers or serial numbers.
The goal of this standard is for the provider to find equipment and supplies that they have furnished to their patients in the event of a manufacturer or Food and Drug Administration...
Contract winners bemoan delay
August 31, 2008HME News Staff
WASHINGTON--It's unclear what compensation, if any, contract winners can seek now that national competitive bidding has been delayed.
“I feel cheated out of time, energy, money-you name it,” said Edward Eubanks, one of the owners of Charlotte Respiratory Solutions in Charlotte, N.C., one of the 10 competitive bidding areas. “We may have legal recourse, but who has the time, energy or money to sue the government?”
The bill that delays competitive bidding for 18 to 24 months...
Sleep reg shuts out providers
August 31, 2008HME News Staff
For home medical equipment providers wondering if there might be a business opportunity in conducting home sleep tests for Medicare beneficiaries, the answer is a resounding no.
On July 18, the four DME MACs released revised local coverage determinations (LCDs) for CPAP, effectively squeezing out providers from the home sleep testing process. The LCDs state: “No aspect of an HST, including but not limited to delivery and/or pickup of the device, may be performed by a DME supplier. This prohibition...
Portable oxygen offers glimmer of promise
August 31, 2008HME News Staff
Aconfluence of negative factors has forced the HME industry to scramble for ways to maintain operations while providing patients with the best technology available. Proponents of portable oxygen systems believe the latest generation of equipment delivers on both those counts.
Rising fuel costs, dearth of credit, slashed Medicare oxygen reimbursement and stingier private insurance coverage have all conspired to strangle respiratory provider cash flows. Between the malaise in the general economy and...
Sam’s Odyssey
August 31, 2008HME News Staff
PHOENIX--Vantage Mobility International donated a wheelchair-accessible Honda Odyssey to Sam Schmidt, a former Indy Racing League driver, the company announced June 12. Schmidt, who suffered a spinal-cord injury after a 2000 racing accident, owns Sam Schmidt Motorsports in Nevada and heads up the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation. Honda supplied the vehicle and VMI added a powered in-floor ramp for unrestricted access and greater interior maneuverability for wheelchairs.
Experts call for studies linking apnea, heart
August 31, 2008HME News Staff
DALLAS--The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology issued a joint statement in July, calling for large-scale studies to determine the link between sleep apnea and heart disease. The statement was published in the journal “Circulation.” It cited increasing evidence of a link between sleep apnea and heart disease due to the widespread prevalence of sleep apnea and rising levels of obesity, particularly among the nation's youth.