Yes to accreditation

I would support the process only if the qualification process and the cost to the DME/HME was limited on the front end (Flat $1,500 for < $1M sales/graduated up the line), NO annual inspection fee but monthly subscription dues of $50.00.  Enrollees can maintain accreditation by submitting an annual report on complaints plus continuing education via Web-based programs and testing for key personnel.  This balances the insatiable tendency of ACHC, CHAP, JCAHO to find more and more requirements for continued justification of their existence.  - John F. DiMarco is CEO of Pro Medical East Each year I am astonished with the number of new companies that employ non-clinical professionals for clinical duties.  The ethics of our business standards will continue to be scrutinized until a solid regulation of practice is mandated by all providers. - Lauren Krivis is in Sleep Services Development with Merit Healthcare No to accreditation While we agree that achieving accreditation is good for DME providers (our firm has been accredited since 1991), we are against legislation that continues to erode reimbursement without the government addressing the increasing administrative burden associated with doing business with Medicare. If the government wants DME providers to become accredited to demonstrate achievement of standards, then we would request a simplification in the burdensome CMN process required by Medicare. -  Robbie Roberts, RRT, is Corporate Compliance Officer at Norco, Inc. It is ludicrous to expect accrediting from all providers. The reason for accrediting is to create a standard. Medicare law already does that through provider enrollment, audits, and inspections. Lawmakers: Stop forcing unneccessary regulations on providers. If you want to reduce fraud, audit the suspicious entities more frequently and their doctor records. It is not the honest provider's fault that a few providers cheat and steal, or cannot train and inform their patients properly. - Tim Parkin is Systems Manager at R&M Medical Billing Hospitals win About three years ago, I sued a local hospital for doing just what was outlined by the OIG in your May issue issue (“Swimming upstream against downstreaming, p. 28). I sued the hospital in federal court. Unfortunately, hospitals wield political power on Long Island and the case was dismissed by the court. The dismissal by the court was not on its merit, but [the court] ruled [that] since I was not an attorney I did not have standing to sue. - Mandy Fogel is president of Rocklyn Surgical Supply Company in Oceanside, N.Y. Ethnic call-out? I just finished reading your article about the Houston area Medicare fraud. It was very informative and I found it interesting. What I was concerned about was the rhetoric used in your article. I am not sure what “of a certain ethnic group” has to do with the story. Fraud is fraud and it is wrong no matter who does it. - Ming Chang is director of sales for Motion Concepts & Product Design Group