In brief: Philips recall, catheter payments, Pottery Barn play

PITTSBURGH – Philips Respironics is alerting users of certain CPAP or Bi-Level PAP therapy masks with magnetic headgear clips or straps that these devices should not be used by or near patients and their household members, caregivers and bed partners who have metallic implanted devices or metallic objects (such as metallic splinters) in the body.  

The magnetic headgear clips are used to attach the headgear straps to the masks, a commonly used method in sleep therapy devices. 

This is a voluntary notification to users of specific CPAP or Bi-Level PAP therapy masks containing magnetic clips to inform them of the updated instructions and labeling. 

• Implanted devices that may be affected by magnets, include but are not limited to: 
• Pacemakers  
• Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) 
• Neurostimulators 
• Magnetic metallic implants/electrodes/valves placed in upper limbs, torso, or higher (i.e., neck and head)  
• Cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) shunts (e.g., ventriculo peritoneal (VP) shunt) 
• Aneurysm clips 
• Embolic coils 
• Intracranial aneurysm intravascular flow disruption devices 
• Metallic cranial plates, screws, burr hole covers, and bone substitute devices  
• Metallic splinters in the eye  
• Ocular implants (e.g., glaucoma implants, retinal implants) 
• Certain contact lenses with metal 
• Implants to restore hearing or balance that have an implanted magnet (such as cochlear implants, implanted bone conduction hearing devices, and auditory brainstem implants) 
• Magnetic denture attachments 
• Metallic gastrointestinal clips 
• Metallic stents (e.g., aneurysm, coronary, tracheobronchial, biliary) 
• Implantable ports and pumps (e.g., insulin pumps) 
• Hypoglossal nerve stimulators 
• Devices labeled as MR (Magnetic Resonance) unsafe 
• Magnetic metallic implants not labeled for MR or not evaluated for safety in a magnetic field. 

Patients should stop using the affected mask if the implant/medical device is contraindicated against the mask magnets. Patients should consult their physician immediately to determine if another mask can be used for their therapy. In the interim, they should switch to a non-magnetic mask if available, for continued therapy. 

These masks may continue to be used according to the updated instructions and labeling if patients or people in close proximity to them do not have implanted metallic medical devices or metallic objects in the body. 

For more information about non-magnetic mask options, contact Philips Respironics’ customer service at 1-800-345-6443. 

OIG report: CMS should reduce cath payments 

WASHINGTON – Medicare payments for intermittent urinary catheters were 3.4 times supplier acquisition costs in fiscal year 2020, according to a new analysis by the Office of Inspector General. 

In total, Medicare allowed $407 million in payments for these items, while suppliers paid approximately $121 million to acquire them.  

Each of the three billing categories for intermittent urinary catheters (straight tip, curved tip, and sterile kit) showed large differences between Medicare payments and acquisition costs, which indicates a potential for substantial savings both to Medicare and beneficiaries, who share responsibility for paying the Medicare-allowed amount. 

“We recognize that suppliers face other costs beyond the cost of acquiring catheters and need an opportunity to maintain a profit,” stated the OIG. “However, the magnitude of the differences between Medicare reimbursements and supplier acquisition costs indicates that Medicare and its beneficiaries can achieve substantial savings while allowing for other costs.” 

To conduct the analysis, the OIG used data obtained from a report on the home health care industry where it was estimated that for every dollar spent on acquisition costs, suppliers spent an additional 72 cents in other costs. The OIG applied this same proportion to its data on acquisition costs for intermittent urinary catheters to obtain an example of supplier total costs. 

The OIG recommends that CMS lower Medicare’s payment rates for intermittent urinary catheters but take steps to ensure beneficiary access to the catheters that best serve their medical needs. 

CMS stated that it will take the OIG’s recommendation under consideration. 

Judi Knott to lead BOC 

OWINGS MILLS, Md. –The Board of Certification/Accreditation’s board of directors has named Judi L. Knott, MA, MBA, as the organization’s new president and CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2023. 

Knott currently serves as BOC’s chief strategy and marketing officer. Current president and CEO Claudia Zacharias, MBA, CAE will retire at the end of this year. 

“I am fortunate to inherit an organization with a solid balance sheet, excellent, long-tenured staff and a bright future,” said Knott. “I am grateful to have the support and wisdom of a strong leadership team, including a distinguished board of directors, to make this a seamless executive transition.” 

Since joining BOC in 2017, Knott has managed the BOC marketing, regulatory and business development teams. She focused on BOC’s customer experience from onboarding through retaining customers and sustaining revenue. Under her leadership, BOC achieved an annual average of 15% sales growth in new business between 2017-2021 and retained nearly 95% of certificants in 2021.  

Knott brings a wealth of business development and marketing experience to her new role as president and CEO. She is a health care and financial services expert, with experience in health systems/hospitals, practice management, credentialing and more throughout her 33-year career. 

“The board’s unanimous vote to promote Judi to CEO was the outcome of BOC’s multi-year succession planning process,” said BOC Board Chair Wayne Rosen, BOCP, BOCO, LPO, CDME, FAAOP. “As we have worked with Judi for the past five years, the board has been continually impressed by her commitment to BOC and its stakeholders. We are confident that her thoughtful strategic capabilities, strong leadership prowess and blend of business and customer experience expertise will lead BOC into an exceptional future.” 

For more information about BOC and its leadership team, visit bocusa.org. 

Sunrise Medical makes two acquisitions 

FRESNO, Calif. – Sunrise Medical has acquired two European companies, The Helping Hand Company and Now Tech, as part of its strategic growth plans. 

"We are very excited to welcome The Helping Hand Company and Now Tech into the Sunrise Medical family,” said Thomas Babacan, president and CEO of Sunrise Medical group. “Continuously improving our global operation excellence and striving for great, breakthrough innovations has always been the center of our strategy. Both acquisitions will significantly strengthen our group's setup and competences, especially in global supply chain and our innovation talents, which will enable us to further improve our products and performances and serve our customers better in many ways." 

The UK-based The Helping Hand Company specializes in the design, manufacturing and distribution of pressure management seating and positioning products, the Symmetrikit 24hour postural care range, and independent living and environmental products.  

Now Tech, headquartered in Budapest, Hungary, is a tech start-up company with a strong digital, software and electronic engineering team. Its latest innovation, the special head control product Gyroset Vigo, has been well received by the market and will become part of Sunrise Medical's SWITCH-IT power wheelchair special control product offering.  

Humana finalizes rebrand of KAH to CenterWell Home Health 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Humana has completed the rebrand of its home health division Kindred at Home (KAH) as CenterWell Home Health. The division has more than 350 locations serving 38 states. “Integrating home health operations into Humana’s home solutions business remains on track as we continue to build and scale our value-based home health offering to improve patient health outcomes nationally,” said Andy Agwunobi, M.D., president of Humana’s Home Solutions segment. “The rollout of the CenterWell Home Health brand reinforces our efforts to expand our home health capabilities to meet the needs of our patients.” The introduction of CenterWell Home Health is part of a comprehensive effort to unite Humana’s three main health care service offerings – home health, senior primary care and pharmacy – under a single brand. By bringing these services under CenterWell, Humana is working to close gaps in care to help more people live healthier and happier, while improving health outcomes and lowering costs. CenterWell services are open to members of a variety of health plans, not just those offered by Humana. 

Emergency response committee needs input 

WATERLOO, Iowa - The DME Community Emergency Response Group, comprised of representatives from VGM and AAHomecare, is seeking assistance in compiling data that can be sent to CMS to showcase the expenses incurred before, during and after a natural disaster. Their end goal is to better assess the true costs that DME suppliers incur in responding to natural disasters and to develop recommendations for CMS on reimbursement opportunities to account for these expenses. The deadline to take the survey is Sept. 23, 2022. 

RESNA forms safety group 

ARLINGTON, Va. – RESNA has formed a new wheelchair standards working group focused on warning and driver assistance systems. This proposed standard will encompass all different types of warning and assistance systems, including currently available and conceptual ones. Within this proposed standard, the group plans to include safety requirements, efficacy of different systems and performance requirements. All RESNA standards committees are open to anyone interested in participating in the standards development process. If you’d like to join this new working group or have any questions, please contact ATSB Secretary Doug Weinbaum at technicalstandards@resna.org.   

Pottery Barn launches line of accessible furniture 

SAN FRANCISCO – Pottery Barn has launched The Accessible Home, a line of bath, upholstery, office, dining, bedroom and lighting products designed to enhance quality of life at home for everyone, including people living with disabilities and injuries, and the aging-in-place community. "In our ongoing commitment to enhance the quality of lives at home, we’re excited to now better serve our customers’ specific needs with The Accessible Home," says Marta Benson, president. "Our mission is to incorporate accessibility into everything we do—providing beautiful, thoughtful design that makes a home a more comfortable place for everyone." The Pottery Barn design team consulted with industry experts to adapt these collections with added accessibility features. Pottery Barn also offers non-slip rugs, non-breakable melamine tabletop products, adjustable desks, adjustable beds and more. Accessories like desk lamps, sconces and hooks also fit contract grade specifications. 

CCS adds chief growth officer 

DALLAS – CCS, a provider of clinical programs and home-delivered medical supplies for those living with chronic conditions, has added Mike Rolla as chief growth officer. Rolla, a seasoned health care exec who has successfully led and developed successful health care organizations over the past 20 years both domestically and internationally, will help guide CCS’s evolution as it scales both its digital health platform and nationwide distribution network. "Mike has an outstanding track record building out supply distribution and driving growth in technology enabled solutions in health care,” said Tony Vahedian, CEO of CCS. “He brings a deep passion and understanding of the health care challenges we're addressing head on at CCS. His strategic vision and partnership will further accelerate our ability to streamline the patient experience for people across the country who are living with diabetes." Rolla most recently served as the chief revenue officer of UpHealth, Inc. He has held multiple senior leadership roles at Livongo, Teladoc and Becton Dickinson, overseeing commercial, marketing, and clinical operations teams. The announcement comes on the heels of the company announcing the expansion of its education, monitoring and coaching services to unify the consumer experience, it says. CCS supports more than 200,000 people living with chronic conditions in the United States and delivers more than 1.2 million shipments of medical supplies directly to their homes. Through its Health and Medical units, CCS works with more than 400 employers and more than 1,800 managed care plans nationally to offer a more hands-on, educational approach to supporting their population of members with diabetes.   

Permobil looks to expand pressure mapping 

LEBANON, Tenn. – Permobil will offer Vista Medical’s BodiTrak pressure mapping technology through its clinical education and commercial organization across the United States and Canada through a new exclusive agreement. “Permobil is committed to bringing the most advanced technologies in the industry to help improve individuals’ lives,” says Todd Walling, senior vice president of sales for Permobil Americas. “We’re excited by this partnership with Vista Medical and see many applications for how BodiTrak technology can be used by clinicians, providers and end users.” Vista Medical pioneered soft interface pressure mapping nearly 30 years ago and continues to focus on providing the best tools for understanding how the human body interacts with surfaces. BodiTrak has two versions – Lite and Pro – depending on the clinical requirements for quicker or more complex seating and positioning assessments. Improving strategies to prevent pressure injuries is key since treatments can cost as much as 2.5 times more than the cost of prevention, both companies say. “Pressure mapping is one of the most underused tools for seating and positioning evaluations and treatment,” said Ana Endsjo, national education manager at Permobil. “It is so much more than just for detecting pressure. It can assist therapists with product selection and setup, deciding on functions for power chairs, configuring the best position for pressure redistribution and for teaching pressure-relieving techniques.” 

Responsive Respiratory boosts retail offering 

ST. LOUIS – Responsive Respiratory has a new partnership agreement to distribute Boost Oxygen Products into the home care market. Founded in 2007, Boost Oxygen offers portable supplemental oxygen in an easy-to-use canister. “Positioned as an over-the counter purchase, Boost is ideal for use in out-of-breath moments due to physical exertion, such as climbing stairs, recreational activities, etc.,” said Steve Bannon, president of RRI. “Boost is a natural fit for providers to add to their showrooms. Every Boost includes an eye-catching countertop display, ideal for placement near the register to drive cash sales.” Boost, which was featured on Shark Tank, is a widely recognized brand, with strong consumer marketing support and consumer awareness. It’s available in 5- or 10-liter canisters and stocked for same-day shipment from RRI’s central U.S. warehouse. 

ResMed: COPD numbers ‘should be a warning’ 

SAN DIEGO – More than 480 million people worldwide likely suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD, according to a new abstract led by ResMed and presented on Sept. 4 at the European Respiratory Society Congress. This figure is 22% to 126% higher than today’s most cited estimates of 212 million to 392 million. “This number should be a warning,” said study co-author and ResMed Chief Medical Officer Carlos M. Nunez, M.D. “It should urge doctors to be more vigilant in screening and testing, since early treatment can enhance quality of life and longevity; urge people and their loved ones to learn and spot symptoms early; urge payers to help everyone take these proactive steps; and frankly inspire stronger, more immediate action to lower risk factors for COPD like smoking and air pollution. In less than a generation, we’re headed north of 600 million cases globally. But we can curb that number and help save millions of lives with education and meaningful action.” ResMed’s global analysis combined known cases of COPD, plus likely cases based on known risk factors, such as smoking, and other indoor and outdoor air pollution. Researchers expect the number of people who suffer from COPD to reach an estimated 592 million by 2050 if current risk factor trends continue. 

Alex Orthopedic buys Hermell Products 

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – Alex Orthopedic has acquired Bloomfield, Conn.-based Hermell Products, creating the leading and largest manufacturer of American-made pillows, cushions and comfort products, according to the two companies. Alex Orthopedic will continue to manufacture and provide established Hermell products, which include pillows and cushions for back health and cervical and neck support, as well as arm and leg orthopedic products, and more. Alex Orthopedic started selling primarily orthopedic products in Texas in 1986. It has added a number of product categories, including pillow and diagnostic products, as well as DME, and now sells through a direct dealer base and a network of national drug wholesalers. It manufactures and ships from a facility in Grand Prairie, Texas, just outside of Dallas.