Tag: Martin Szmal
New mobility code, but same fee schedule?
June 5, 2015Tracy Orzel
WASHINGTON - While mobility stakeholders support CMS's preliminary decision to establish a new code for center mount power elevating foot platforms with articulation, they are less enthused about the proposed reimbursement.
CMS says the new code would continue to be paid at the allowable for power elevating leg rests (E1010)—$1,095—even though the MSRP for power articulating foot platforms is $2,945.
“It's going to make it easier to bill once we have an established...
Mobility stakeholders: Repair issues bigger than GAO says
May 9, 2014Leah Hoenen
WASHINGTON - The brief mention of repair issues in a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on competitive bidding doesn't speak to the severity of the problem, say mobility stakeholders.“I think the GAO report brought some acknowledgement of the problems in the competitive bidding areas, but I think what we want to continue to focus on with CMS is that this is a broader problem requiring fixes not just in the competitive bidding program, but the Medicare program in general,”...
Decision doesn't solve repair woes, stakeholders say
January 17, 2014Elizabeth Deprey
WASHINGTON - CMS's decision to pay for repairs for capped rental DME provided by The Scooter Store and transferred to beneficiaries on Oct. 24 is a step in the right direction, but not a solution, industry stakeholders say.
“Before this, no provider could touch those chairs,” said Martin Szmal, founder of The Mobility Consultants. “Now providers can follow the same guidelines of any beneficiary-owned power wheelchair.”
CMS stated in a bulletin last week that Medicare...
Providers in bid areas see glitch in payments
October 18, 2013Elizabeth Deprey
YARMOUTH, Maine - Some providers in Round 2 competitive bidding areas (CBAs) say they're running into trouble billing for complex rehab accessories.
“Sometimes we get paid, sometimes we don't—it's very haphazard,” said Joe McKnight, vice president of business development for Anaheim, Calif.-based Aero Mobility.
Because complex rehab is excluded from competitive bidding, providers in Round 2 CBAs must use a KY or KE modifier on claims for accessories like...
What's The Scooter Store's legacy?
September 27, 2013Elizabeth Deprey
YARMOUTH, Maine - Stakeholders expect the downfall of The Scooter Store to have several lasting effects on the power mobility industry.
The Scooter Store announced Sept. 13 that it has been cut out of Rounds 1 and 2 of competitive bidding, and will close for good in the coming weeks.
Decreased access
Among the consequences of the closure, and the controversy and investigation surrounding it: Access to power wheelchairs will likely take a hit, providers say.
“I suspect utilization...