Tag: Home Oxygen Equipment
OIG adds reviews for wheelchair repairs, oxygen
October 31, 2024HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – The Office of Inspector General added wheelchair repairs and oxygen and oxygen equipment to its work plan in October. For wheelchair repairs, the OIG will examine suppliers who provide these services and will consider the duration of repairs, their implementation of selected quality standards, and their identification of deficiencies related to wheelchair repairs. It will review documentation from wheelchair suppliers and accreditation organizations and conduct interviews with...
RRI issues newest product catalog
July 11, 2024HME News Staff
ST. LOUIS – Responsive Respiratory has released a new Product Solutions catalog for oxygen. The catalog highlights RRI’s newest entry into the oxygen analyzer market, the O2 Checker, and its commitment to high-pressure oxygen products. “The O2 checker is unique in today’s oxygen market,” said Steve Bannon, president. “The user-intuitive interface allows technicians to transition seamlessly between equipment types and features a simulated breath function to detect...
Health care groups push for oxygen reform in new letter
June 5, 2024HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – A coalition of patient, provider and professional organizations called on Congress to support and cosponsor the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act, legislation that seeks to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries have access to the correct type and levels of oxygen, in a new letter.
The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC), American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST), American Lung Association, American Thoracic Society, COPD Foundation, Council...
CQRC leads way on oxygen reform
April 12, 2024Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON – The fact that the HME industry, physician groups and patient groups are all in alignment on what needs to be done to fix the Medicare oxygen benefit should help to propel a new bill forward, says Dan Starck, interim chair of the Council for Quality Respiratory Care.
The Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) Act, introduced in late February in the Senate and in late March in the House of Representatives, has support from heavy hitters like the American Lung Association,...
AdaptHealth works on diabetes, as sleep & oxygen make gains
March 1, 2024Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. - Diabetes revenue for the fourth quarter of 2023 was down 3.8% against the prior year, driven in part by compression on insulin pumps, but AdaptHealth execs say they plan a big push to boost that part of the business in 2024.
Pump revenue in 2022 was about $160 million, and the company expected revenue of about $120 million in 2023.
“We came right in line with that expectation,” said Jason Clemens, CFO, during a recent call to discuss the company’s...
Lincare to pay $29M to settle False Claims Act violations
August 29, 2023HME News Staff
SPOKANE, Wash. – Lincare has agreed to pay $29 million settlement to resolve claims that violated the False Claims Act by overbilling Medicare and Medicare Advantage, according to a press release from Vanessa Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
The settlement requires Lincare to refund wrongful payments made by Medicare beneficiaries and sets up accountability measures to prevent future fraudulent billing.
In the settlement announced...
CQRC: ‘Time is ripe’ on oxygen
September 9, 2022Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON – With local coverage determinations for home oxygen therapy anticipated in October, Crispin Teufel, chair of the Council for Quality Respiratory Care, hopes the industry will get more clarity on a post-CMN environment.
The CMS requirement for CMNs is set to expire Jan. 1, 2023, and the industry has been pushing for a simple template with clear and objective clinical elements, says Teufel, who is also the CEO of Lincare.
“There’s not a lot of time,...
CMS changes date for oxygen NCD implementation
May 26, 2022HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – CMS has changed the implementation date of the new oxygen national coverage determination from Jun 14, 2022, to Jan. 3, 2023.
“This change only extends the implementation date to Jan. 1, 2023,” AAHomecare stated in a bulletin. “The new oxygen NCD coverage expansion will still be retroactively effective to claims with a date of service on or after Sept. 27, 2021.”
The new oxygen NCD, among other things, expands access for acute conditions...
Oxygen market has evolved in pandemic
December 29, 2021John Andrews
Between the continuing threat of COVID-19 and lingering supply chain disruption, 2021 was a challenging year in the respiratory market for manufacturers, providers and patients alike. The pandemic has had a profound impact on the way the HME industry operates, while product distribution snarls have been a source of frustration.
These developments illuminated the HME industry’s profile within the overall healthcare spectrum, inspired a greater embrace of medical and information technology...
'We're still just scratching the surface,' says longtime provider
December 29, 2021Tracy Orzel
VICKSBURG, Miss. – David Hosemann has been in the HME industry so long, he used to get his oxygen from the hardware store.
“Not too many people in the DME industry today can say that,” said Hoseman, owner of Hometown Medical. “From there to the little POCs we are putting out now, that's how far technology has come.”
Hosemann was recently recognized by his staff for 40 years of service in the DME industry. Founded in 2002, Hometown Medical offers...