Tag: Rural
Kubat commits to rural areas
January 21, 2022Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
OMAHA, Neb. – With a string of recent acquisitions, Kubat HealthCare is building a presence in more rural areas as a provider with a personal touch, says Dawn Wierzbicki, executive vice president of growth.
In the second half of 2021, Kubat acquired Ashland, Neb.-based Ashland Pharmacy; Fremont, Neb.-based Miller Pharmacy Specialties; and Louisville, Neb.-based Blake’s Pharmacy. It also opened a new location in Lincoln, Neb.
“We don’t want to be known as...
Provider Regina Gillispie on sharing the pain
March 26, 2021Liz Beaulieu, Editor
BARBOURSVILLE, W.Va. – What has it been like to be a respiratory provider in a largely rural state during the past year of the COVID-19 pandemic? “It’s been very scary,” says Regina Gillispie, president and owner of Best Home Medical in Barboursville, W.Va.
Hear how Gillispie, a recent guest on the HME News in 10 podcast, is trying to share the pain with her members of Congress on social media, to the point where she jokes, “I’m...
AAH: Updates supplier counts, comments on rural areas
December 6, 2019HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - AAHomecare has found that, while the number of unique companies is down 37% and the number of locations is down 35% since 2010, the data for October 2019 is virtually unchanged from January 2019. The number of unique companies increased from 6,143 to 6,180 and the number of locations from 9,195 to 9,196, according to the association. Go here to see AAHomecare's updated supplier tracking sheet�The association this month responded to the House Ways & Means Committee's request...
VGM to providers: Tell your story in RFI
November 22, 2019HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - A task force of the Ways and Means Committee in the House of Representatives has published a request for information on “priority topics that affect health status and outcomes,” VGM reports.
The committee's Rural and Underserved Task Force seeks topics for consideration for future sessions.
“DME suppliers, state associations and hospital discharge planners and case managers need to respond,” VGM stated in a bulletin to members. “Take advantage...
Competitive bidding: Stakeholders line up another campaign for relief
May 17, 2019Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON - The industry has its marching orders this week, as it heads to Capitol Hill with a long-awaited bill to address Medicare reimbursement cuts for HME.
Specifically, H.R. 2771 would make permanent a 50/50 blended reimbursement rate in rural areas and would introduce a 75/25 rate for non-rural, non-bid areas.
“We worked for the last three years with Congress and the administration to implement relief in non-bid, non-rural areas,” said Jay Witter, senior vice president of...
New bill provides relief to rural areas
May 16, 2019HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - A bill that would preserve access to durable medical equipment, particularly in rural areas, was introduced yesterday in the House of Representatives.
Introduced by Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R. Wash., and Dave Loebsack, D. Iowa, the Protecting Home Oxygen & Medical Equipment (HOME) Access Act of 2019, would:
make the 50/50 blended reimbursement rates in rural areas permanent after 2020;
provide additional relief for non-rural, non-bid areas at 75/25 blended rates; and
eliminate...
In brief: West Virginia lawmakers go to bat for HME; Patientco, TwelveStone receive investments
July 27, 2018HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - A group of senators and representatives from West Virginia has sent a letter to CMS Administrator Seema Verma saying the agency's May 9 interim final rule “does not go far enough” to ensure continued access to DME for the elderly and disabled in rural areas.
The group points out that, while the IFR reinstates 50/50 blended reimbursement rates, it only does so for rural and non-contiguous areas, not all non-competitive bidding areas.
“We were hopeful that...
West Virginia lawmakers go to bat for HME
July 25, 2018HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - A group of senators and representatives from West Virginia has sent a letter to CMS Administrator Seema Verma saying the agency's May 9 interim final rule “does not go far enough” to ensure continued access to DME for the elderly and disabled in rural areas.
The group points out that, while the IFR reinstates 50/50 blended reimbursement rates, it only does so for rural and non-contiguous areas, not all non-competitive bidding areas.
“We were hopeful that the...
IFR comments pass 100 mark
July 3, 2018HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - A competitive bidding-related interim final rule had 136 comments on Monday, July 9, the deadline.
Stakeholders have been pushing for comments on the IFR, which reinstates 50/50 blended reimbursement rates—but only from June 1, 2018, to Dec. 31, 2018, instead of retroactively from Jan. 1, 2017; and only in rural and non-contiguous areas instead of all non-bid areas.
The deadline or submitting comments is July 9.
Submit your comments here.
CMS releases adjusted reimbursement rates for rural areas
May 29, 2018HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - CMS last week published the adjusted reimbursement rates that will go into effect for seven months in rural areas.
The adjustments, called for in a recently released interim final rule, means reimbursement for oxygen concentrators, for example, will go from $77.16 to $121.46 per month from June 1 through Dec. 31 in rural areas.
Per the IFR, CMS is reverting to 50/50 blended reimbursement rates in rural areas, but not in all non-bid areas, as stakeholders had hoped.
Other examples...