Archive: December 2013
Furniture maker debuts nightstand to conceal CPAP devices
December 31, 2013HME News Staff
RAPID CITY, S.D. - This nightstand is for sleep apnea patients who want a good night's sleep—and a neat bedroom. Perdue Woodworks will introduce a bedside cabinet that conceals CPAP and BIPAP devices, even while they're in use, at the Las Vegas Market on Jan. 26. The machine and its components tuck neatly behind a pair of doors, while the hose that delivers air to the patient's mask runs through a slot in the cabinet to the patient's bed, according to a story in Furniture Today....
Resolutions 2014: Walk the plank, pass the buck
December 31, 2013Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
People the world over are counting down the minutes and hours until the New Year arrives. Except perhaps for Jo in the next cube. She's singing "White Christmas."
I am personally counting the minutes until I get sprung from this joint today. No special reason, I just have holiday brain.
So let's talk resolutions. I make a few soft ones every year and don't beat myself up when they (inevitably) fall by the wayside. This year's have to do with fitness, both physical and fiscal.
One idea I got, just...
What's bad for painkillers is good for TENS devices
December 31, 2013Liz Beaulieu, Editor
YARMOUTH, Maine - A recent recommendation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could provide a big boost to the makers and providers of alternative pain management therapies like TENS.Concerned about the abuse of narcotic painkillers, the FDA wants to reduce by half—to 90 days—the supply that patients can get without new prescriptions. The agency's move is no surprise to Ryan Moore, a physical therapist who is vice president of sales for Roscoe Medical's Pain Management Division.“We've...
Mediware hosts webinar series on ICD-10
December 30, 2013HME News Staff
CHANDLER, Ariz. - Mediware Information Systems will host a four-part webinar series to help providers prepare for the Oct. 1, 2014, transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10 codes, the company announced Dec. 30. Paula Digby, principal at AQ Consulting, will host the series on Jan. 22, March 26, June 25 and Sept. 10. Registration is limited to the first 500 attendees. The webinars are part of an outreach effort that will also include whitepapers, studies, surveys and testimonials on a variety of topics.
COPD mortality tied to poverty, study says
December 30, 2013HME News Staff
LONDON - Mortality rates among COPD patients in low-income countries are linked more to poverty than the prevalence of smoking, according to a new international study published in Thorax. Researchers examined COPD mortality data from 170 countries, finding a strong inverse correlation between mortality and gross national income (GNI). Where the annual GNI was below $15,000, they found COPD mortality rose, but it had no clear link to smoking. Mortality was strongly correlated with spirometric restriction,...
Bruno, Advanced Rehab grant wish
December 27, 2013HME News Staff
OCONOMOWOC, Wis. - Bruno Independent Living Aids is donating a “Joey” platform lift to Sam Wedig, a 10-year-old with cerebral palsy. The lift will allow Sam's grandparents, Coleen and Mark Wedig, who are raising him, to take him to school and church, and to watch the Iowa Cubs baseball team. Advanced Rehab Technologies in Urbandale, which supplied Sam with his power wheelchair, will install the lift in the Wedig's Dodge Caravan. Bruno and Advanced Rehab learned about Sam through...
In brief: Mediware reaches out, Liberator reports revenues
December 27, 2013HME News Staff
LENEXA, Kan. - Mediware Information Systems will offer whitepapers, studies, surveys, testimonials, webinars and other resources to providers throughout 2014, the company announced Dec. 24. First up: a Jan. 29 webinar to help HME providers master the complex rules and regulations related to competitive bidding. “Mediware's mission is to help homecare providers better understand the ever-changing homecare arena, while also providing business insights and best practices needed to growth their...
Round 1 re-compete: Overcome cuts with volume and diversification, says contract supplier
December 27, 2013Leah Hoenen
MATTHEWS, N.C. - As Carolina's Home Medical Equipment prepared for the Jan. 1 implementation of the Round 1 re-compete, President and CEO Frank Trammell took a few minutes to tell HME News what his company has done to remain viable in the competitive bidding market.HME News: What did you learn from Round 1 that helped you in the re-compete? What worked and what didn't? How did you prepare for this round?Frank Trammell: Understanding how each line item is weighted and how it impacts the composite...
FAA puts sleep apnea policy on hold
December 27, 2013HME News Staff
FREDERICK, Md. - Faced with stiff opposition from some pilot groups, lawmakers and physicians, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has put on hold plans to test all overweight pilots for sleep apnea, according to news reports. The FAA had planned to start testing pilots with body mass indices of 40 or greater in January. The FAA has now agreed to consult with industry groups to balance the concerns of all stakeholders, according to news reports. When the FAA announced its plans, legislation...
The year in stories
December 27, 2013HME News Staff
YARMOUTH, Maine - Competitive bidding and bankruptcies (three of them, to be exact) dominated the headlines of HME News in 2013.
We compiled a list of the five most read stories for 2013, plus the five most read stories about respiratory, mobility and financial-related topics. Here's what turned up.
Most read stories
CMS announces payment amounts for Round 2
BALTIMORE - CMS announced today that reimbursement rates for certain home medical equipment will be, on average, 45% lower than...