Author
HomeCare Staff
HomeCare staff Meg Herndon and Hannah Wolfson were joined by writers Kristin Easterling and Gail Short to tell these stories. Tamara Davie’s photo on page 32 was taken by Ursula Hope Photography.
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Providers
Medtrade Spring Preview
Medtrade Spring is set to open next month in Las Vegas, and show producers say this edition of the buying and networking expo — a more intimate version of its fall trade show — will focus on building business and improving quality of life. To be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, March 16-18, the show will offer more than 75 educational sessions and exhibits from 450 HME manufacturers. Attendees can see the newest products, get an update on grassroots legislative efforts and learn the ins-and-outs of accreditation, soon to be required under the recent Medicare reform law. The spring event comes on the heels of Medicare legislation, just as the home medical equipment industry is looking at the playing board to plan its... -
HME Products
Lifts, Ramps & Transfer Devices
Precision Lifts/Interior-Exterior Lift Hide and Ride HD Call 800/225-7814. Web site: www.precisionlifts.com Circle 449 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Leisure-Lift/Equipment Lift Magnum Lift Call 800/255-0285. Web site: www.pacesaver.com Circle 448 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Access Industries/Stair Lift Select BOS Call 800/925-3100. Web site: www.accessind.com Circle 439 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Sunrise Medical/Portable Ceiling Lift System Guardian Voyager Lift and Easytrack Portable Track Call 800/333-4000. Web site: www.sunrisemedical.com Circle 440 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Homecare Products/Portable Ramp EZ-Access Modular Ramp Call 800/451-1903. Web site: www.homecareproducts.com Circle 450 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Silver Star Mobility/Inside Lift 2004 Backpacker Call 888/354-8250. Web site: www.silverstarmobility.com Circle 436 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Liko/Sit-to-Stand Electric Lift Nordic Capella 201 Call... -
HME Products
New Products
Respironics/CPAP System Remstar Plus Call 800/345-6443. Web site: www.respironics.com Circle 499 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Freedom Designs/Adjustable Chest Vest EE6W Call 800/331-8551. Web site: www.freedomdesigns.com Circle 489 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Breg/Shoulder CPM Flex-Mate S500 Call 800/321-0607. Web site: www.breg.com Circle 488 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Aerogen/Nebulizer Aeroneb Go Call 866/423-7643. Web site: www.aerogen.com Circle 493 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. dj Orthopedics/Pain Management System DonJoy Pain Control Device Call 760/727-1280. Web site: www.djortho.com Circle 496 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Homecare Solutions/Bed Enclosure Safe-N-Secure Call 877/909-2266. Web site: www.hcsolutionsinc.com Circle 495 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Apex Dynamics Healthcare Products/Power Lift Chair Windsor Call 800/742-0453. Web site: www.apexdynamics.com Circle 444 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company... -
Providers
The Scooter Store Lays Off 200
New Braunfels, Texas In January, The Scooter Store announced the layoff of 200 employees, a move the company attributes to the clarification of Medicare’s power wheelchair coverage policy, issued in December by the durable medical equipment regional carriers. “We deeply regret the necessity of reducing our work force,” Margaret McGuckin, the company’s executive vice president of marketing, stated in a press release. “Unfortunately, we have no choice since the unreasonable new ‘clarification,’ when its full impact is felt, may prevent us from serving thousands of disabled elderly people who, with power mobility, would have been able to continue to live independently.” Under the DMERCs’ clarification, issued as part of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ 10-point plan to curb power wheelchair fraud and abuse,... -
A Simple Plan
Our staff often hears from providers who have discovered ways to improve their operations or increase their profits. We rarely hear from any of you that it’s easy to do those things. Lately, in fact, we hear that the paperwork and rules you deal with on a daily basis are making your jobs increasingly harder, requiring complex processes, checks and cross-checks, more staff, more training — and someone just to keep up with all the changes. That’s why the story of Vern and Ella Shafer caught our attention. Veterans of HME, the couple couldn’t wait to open their own company, where they knew they would have to tackle those daily tasks. Yet the Shafers’ common-sense approach to running their small business, complete with all the... -
Legislation & Regulation
Bush Calls for Improved Health Care Access
Washington During his State of the Union address Jan. 20, President Bush called on Congress to help control health care costs and, at the same time, “extend the benefits of modern medicine” throughout the country. He also praised the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act that he signed into law in December. Among other priorities, the president’s speech proposed: In a statement issued following the address, the American Association for Homecare, Alexandria, Va., supported the president’s “vision for the future of America’s health care” but expressed concern about how Medicare’s overhaul will affect beneficiary access to care. “This is especially true as it relates to durable medical equipment, and the changes imposed on the home health and rehab sectors,” AAHomecare said. For breaking news,... -
The Scooter Store Lays Off 200
New Braunfels, Texas In January, The Scooter Store announced the layoff of 200 employees, a move the company attributes to the clarification of Medicare’s power wheelchair coverage policy, issued in December by the durable medical equipment regional carriers. “We deeply regret the necessity of reducing our work force,” Margaret McGuckin, the company’s executive vice president of marketing, stated in a press release. “Unfortunately, we have no choice since the unreasonable new ‘clarification,’ when its full impact is felt, may prevent us from serving thousands of disabled elderly people who, with power mobility, would have been able to continue to live independently.” Under the DMERCs’ clarification, issued as part of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ 10-point plan to curb power wheelchair fraud and abuse,... -
Legislation & Regulation
Industry Stakeholders Fight DMERC Power Wheelchair Clarification
Washington In response to the policy clarification on power wheelchairs issued in December by the four DMERCs, industry stakeholders continue their opposition and have requested an open dialog with the Baltimore-based Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on the issue. According to the DMERCs’ new clarification, power wheelchairs will be covered only for “patients who are non-ambulatory.” (See “The Scooter Store Lays Off 200,” page 8.) Industry advocates have also said that the clarification’s medical review guidelines may be applied retroactively. “The application of these new policies to beneficiaries who have already received power wheelchairs that met the previously accepted coverage criterion will cause irreparable harm to both beneficiaries and suppliers,” said American Association for Homecare President and CEO Kay Cox. In a December letter... -
Bush Calls for Improved Health Care Access
Washington During his State of the Union address Jan. 20, President Bush called on Congress to help control health care costs and, at the same time, “extend the benefits of modern medicine” throughout the country. He also praised the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act that he signed into law in December. Among other priorities, the president’s speech proposed: In a statement issued following the address, the American Association for Homecare, Alexandria, Va., supported the president’s “vision for the future of America’s health care” but expressed concern about how Medicare’s overhaul will affect beneficiary access to care. “This is especially true as it relates to durable medical equipment, and the changes imposed on the home health and rehab sectors,” AAHomecare said. For breaking news,...