Archive: November 2024
ResMed adds AirSense 11 to e-shop
November 22, 2024Liz Beaulieu, Editor
SAN DIEGO – ResMed has added the AirSense 11 to its e-shop for cash purchase in a move that has upset providers who say they are still on allocation for this CPAP device.
When contacted by HME News, a company spokesperson confirmed that the AirSense 11 joined the AirSense 10 and AirMini, as well as numerous masks and accessories, on the company’s e-shop on Oct. 28.
“The expansion of our online shop reflects our broader commitment to developing a holistic channel...
Stakeholders ‘full-steam ahead’ on reimbursement relief
November 22, 2024Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON – The HME industry has collected 33 signatures for a congressional letter, engaged a PR firm and welcomed a champion into a new high-profile role in the Senate – all part of efforts to get reimbursement relief passed before the end of the year.
The letter, led by Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, and Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., was sent to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, urging CMS to re-establish the 75/25 reimbursement rates in non-competitive bidding,...
Invacare’s new owner in North America excels in turnarounds
November 22, 2024Liz Beaulieu, Editor
ELYRIA, Ohio – MIGA Holdings says it can turn around Invacare North America – which has suffered under a consent decree, a bankruptcy filing and numerous layoffs in the past decade –and it has the track record to prove it.
Edison, N.J. -based MIGA, which announced it bought the business on Nov. 11, will focus on improving Invacare NA’s operations and infrastructure, while letting the company’s “strongest assets” – its mission, vision, people...
The reluctant pharmacist: Tripp Logan seeks to make health care accessible
November 22, 2024Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
CHARLESTON, Mo. – Ask Richard “Tripp” Logan, the Independent Pharmacist of the Year, how he got into pharmacy, and he’ll tell you “reluctantly.”
“I grew up in the (family) practice, but I had plans to do other things when I left,” said Logan, a second-generation pharmacist with L&S Pharmacy in Charleston, Mo. “I gradually got kind of roped back into coming home and I ended up with a degree in pharmaceuticals and came back to our practice...
In brief: Henry Schein makes CGM play, diabetes tech integrates, Medicare overpays & more
November 22, 2024HME News Staff
MELVILLE, N.Y. - Henry Schein has signed an agreement to buy Tampa, Fla.-based Acentus, a national supplier specializing in delivering continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) with $35 million in annual revenue.
Along with its previous acquisitions of Prism Medical Products in 2021 and Shield Healthcare and Mini Pharmacy in 2023, Henry Schein now expects its home medical supply platform to have annual revenue of about $35 million.
“As the delivery of health care in the U.S. is increasingly...
Dexcom partners with, invests in, Ōura
November 21, 2024HME News Staff
SAN DIEGO & SAN FRANCISCO – Dexcom’s glucose data with be integrated with the Oura Ring’s vital sign, sleep, stress, heart health and activity data to provide users of both products with a more complete picture of overall health, the companies say. Dexcom is also making a $75 million strategic investment in Ōura’s Series D funding, putting the company’s valuation at more than $5 billion. “Dexcom offers the most accurate glucose biosensing systems on the market...
Insulet’s Omnipod integrates with Libre
November 21, 2024HME News Staff
ACTON, Mass. – Insulet’s Omnipod 5 Automated Insulin Delivery System is now compatible with Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre 2 Plus continuous glucose monitoring sensor in the U.S. “We are excited to announce that Omnipod 5, the only AID system indicated for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, is now integrated with Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre 2 Plus sensor in the U.S.,” aid Eric Benjamin, Insulet’s executive vice president and chief product and customer experience officer....
Medtronic’s InPen app gets FDA clearance
November 21, 2024HME News Staff
GALWAY, Ireland - Medtronic has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its new InPen app featuring missed meal dose detection, paving the way for the launch of its Smart MDI system with the Simplera continuous glucose monitor. With this clearance, the system will be the first in the market to recommend corrections for missed or inaccurate insulin doses, providing real-time, personalized insights for individuals on multiple daily injection therapy, the company says. ...
ACHC launches new accreditation program for hospital at home
November 21, 2024HME News Staff
CARY, N.C. – The Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) is introducing a new accreditation program, In-Home Hospital Care Accreditation, to set industry standards for safety, quality and patient-centered care in the rapidly evolving field of home-based acute health care. As health care organizations adopt new models that respond to patient preference, improve patient access and create efficiencies on the delivery of services, ACHC’s new program establishes clear guidelines and...
OIG: Medicare overpaid hospitals for hospice patients
November 21, 2024HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – Medicare improperly paid acute-care hospitals an estimated $190 million over five years for outpatient services provided to hospice patients, according to a new report from the Office of Inspector General.
For 30 of 100 sample items, payments to acute-care hospitals for outpatient services provided to hospice enrollees complied with Medicare requirements. For the remaining 70 items, however, payments did not comply with the requirements.
Specifically, the OIG...