Archive: December 2016
VGM Fulfillment strikes a nerve
December 30, 2016Liz Beaulieu, Editor
WATERLOO, Iowa - VGM Fulfillment has been processing and shipping CPAP supplies on behalf of HME providers for nearly six years, but 2016 was a banner year.By the end of the year, it was shipping supplies for more than 1,000 locations.“Our volume has grown 35% or more year over year since 2009,” said Jeremy Stolz, vice president of distribution for VGM Fulfillment, which employs more than 100. “But it's more like 45% in 2016.”To accommodate that growth, VGM Fulfillment in...
Sleep stakeholders look to passage of guidelines in 2017
December 30, 2016Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON - Mandatory sleep testing and treatment guidelines for commercial drivers are on the verge of becoming a reality, and stakeholders are hopeful that the recent presidential election won't put the brakes on that.“We thought it was a fait accompli, and it probably would have been under a Clinton administration,” said Dana Voien, president of SleepSafe Drivers, a Laguna Nigel, Calif.-based sleep management provider, which helped craft the current draft language. “Trump has...
In brief: Arriva Medical appeals revocation, VGM names new CFO
December 30, 2016HME News Staff
WALTHAM, Mass. - The parent company of Arriva Medical, a contract supplier under Medicare's national mail-order program for diabetes testing supplies, has filed an appeal with the administrative law judge seeking to reinstate its billing status.
Arriva Medical expects the ALJ to hear its appeal within 30 days and issues a decision in three months, it stated in a Dec. 28 update on its website.
“We believe the recent action by CMS to remove Arriva from CMS billing is unlawful, arbitrary...
The year in HME News stories
December 30, 2016Liz Beaulieu, Editor
YARMOUTH, Maine - 2016 was the year that HME providers fought back.
The most read story on www.hmenews.com in 2016 was “In wake of cuts, HME providers let chips fall.” When CMS implemented the Round 2 re-compete and the first phase of its nationwide rollout of competitive bidding on July 1, providers directed angry referral sources right to lawmakers. Other providers washed their hands of bid products and services—products and services that they had provided for years.
In...
Sleep clinic agrees to pay $2.6M for dual role
December 30, 2016HME News Staff
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Bay Sleep Clinic and its related businesses have agreed to pay $2.6 million to settle allegations that they were involved in both the diagnosis and treatment of sleep patients, a violation of Medicare rules and regulations.The government charged Bay Sleep Clinic and its related businesses—Qualium Corp., which operates 20 sleep clinics, and Amerimed Corp., which does business as Amerimed Sleep Diagnostics and Amerimed CPAP Specialist—with fraudulently billing Medicare...
Arriva Medical appeals revocation
December 29, 2016HME News Staff
WALTHAM, Mass. - The parent company of Arriva Medical, a contract supplier under Medicare's national mail-order program for diabetes testing supplies, has filed an appeal with the administrative law judge seeking to reinstate its billing status.
Arriva Medical expects the ALJ to hear its appeal within 30 days and issue a decision in three months, it stated in a Dec. 28 update on its website.
“We believe the recent action by CMS to remove Arriva from CMS billing is unlawful, arbitrary...
AvaCare Medical buys online scrubs company
December 28, 2016HME News Staff
LAKEWOOD, N.J. - AvaCare Medical, an online medical supply store, has acquired Medical Scrubs Collection, an online medical scrubs store.AvaCare CEO Steven Zeldes and CFO Mark Bakst say they plan to use their “skills in entrepreneurship” to bring the same growth that they've experienced at AvaCare to the Howell, N.J.-based Medical Scrubs Collection.“We see this as an opportunity to pass on our success at AvaCare Medical to Medical Scrubs Collection,” said Zeldes. “Having...
VGM names new CFO
December 27, 2016HME News Staff
WATERLOO, Iowa - The VGM Group has promoted Jeff Rummel, its controller and vice president of accounting, to CFO. Rummel succeeds Mike Mallaro, who became CEO in 2016, following the death of Van Miller, CEO and founder, in 2015. In his new role, Rummel, who joined VGM in 2015, will be responsible for providing strategic and financial leadership. “In Jeff's time at VGM, he has endeavored to understand our various businesses in the depth needed to contribute meaningful counsel,” Mallaro...
Invacare informs holders of repurchase rights
December 27, 2016HME News Staff
ELYRIA, Ohio - Holders of Invacare's 4.125% convertible senior subordinated debentures issued Feb. 12, 2007, and due 2027 have the right to surrender their notes for repurchase by the company, it confirmed Dec. 24. A put option under the indenture governing the debentures entitles each holder to require the company to repurchase for cash all or in part (in principal amounts equal to $1,000 or multiples thereof) of their debentures on Feb. 1, 2017, for a purchase price equal to 100% of the principal...
CMS offers guidance on billing for complex rehab accessories
December 27, 2016HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - CMS has updated the DME Center page of its website with information on how it plans to implement certain provisions in the recently passed 21st Century Cures Act.
For a provision that delays CMS's plans to apply bid-derived pricing to accessories for complex power wheelchairs for another six months, until July 1, 2017, the agency states:
“To implement the extension, the 2016 KU fee schedule amounts have been updated by the 2017 0.7% covered item update and will be added...