industry

HME

  • Industry Reaction

    “The tenor of the hearing was not anti-[HME] industry. It was more anti-CMS than anything else, [with testimony describing] how they allowed this [power wheelchair] fraud and abuse to happen. The other good news is that what CMS announced … was very much in line with industry recommendations. They’re going to create more codes. It’s nice to have such recognition from the government.” — Cara Bachenheimer, vice president of government relations, Invacare Corp., Elyria, Ohio “My overall reaction is disappointment, but not surprise. I think we as an industry have a real PR issue that we need to address quickly. For the most part, the good suppliers are being painted with the same brush as those who were fraudulent. “I believe we need to work…
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  • CMS Introduces New Wheelchair Cushion Codes

    Baltimore Last month, CMS sent out a change-request transmittal to its contractors spelling out 20 new codes for wheelchair cushions — and eliminating, among others, the broad E0192 code. To become effective July 1, the new codes include cushion depth and height parameters, wheelchair cushions for general use, skin protection, positioning and seat backs, along with new codes for mounting hardware. For breaking news, go to www.homecaremonday.com, the electronic news service of the home medical equipment industry.
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  • Latest HME News

  • New Products

    Omron Healthcare/Electronic Nebulizer NE-U22V MicroAir Call 800/231-4030. Web site: www.omronhealthcare.com Circle 481 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information Permobil/Power Wheelchair Street Call 800/736-0925. Web site: www.permobil.com Circle 491 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information Viasys Healthcare/CPAP Interface Lyra Call 800/231-2466. Web site: www.viasyshealthcare.com Circle 482 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information Avarius/Support Pillow SleepStreme Call 866/342-8151. Web site: www.sleepstreme.com Circle 493 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information Living Independently Group/Home Health Security System QuietCare Call 866/216-4600. Web site: www.kcsa.com Circle 500 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information Sroufe/Posterior Leg Splint 4000 Call 260/894-4171. Web site: www.sroufe.com Circle 497 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information LifeCare/Toilet Seat and Shower Chair EZ Up Chair Call 800/664-8342. Web site: www.lifecareusa.com Circle 486 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information…
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  • Bariatrics

    Big Boyz Industries/Bed Queen Pride 1000TC Convertible Call 877/574-3233. Web site: www.bariatricbeds.com Circle 450 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Amigo Mobility/Scooter HD450 Call 800/692-6446. Web site: www.myamigo.com Circle 447 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. James Consolidated/Turning Mattress Panda III Call 800/884-3317. Web site: www.volkner.com Circle 433 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Pride Mobility Products/Lift Chair GL-555 Call 800/800-8586. Web site: www.pridemobility.com Circle 444 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Altimate Medical/Heavy-Duty Stander EasyStand 5000 XL Call 800/342-8968. Web site: www.easystand.com Circle 436 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Drive Medical/Oversized Commode 11130-2 Call 877/224-0946. Web site: www.drivemedical.com Circle 437 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Invacare Corp./Power Wheelchair Pronto M94 Call 800/333-6900. Web site: www.invacare.com Circle 446 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company…
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  • New Products

    Turbo Wheelchair/Manual Wheelchair Merlexi Craft Call 800/959-4765. Web site: www.merlexi.com Circle 493 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information Evolution Technologies/Walker Horizon DX Call 800/556-2558. Web site: www.evolution.ca Circle 488 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information Consumer Care Products/Positioning Aid Functional Form 107 Side Layers Call 920/893-4614. Web site: www.consumercareinc.com Circle 439 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Bed-Check Corp./Bed Monitor Basic-Check and Classic-Check Call 800/523-7956. Web site: www.bedcheck.com Circle 441 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. Quantum Rehab/Wheelchair Power Positioning System Tru Balance Call 800/800-8586. Web site: www.quantumrehab.com Circle 483 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information. A&D Medical/Blood Pressure Monitor LifeSource UA-767PC Call 888/726-9966. Web site: www.lifesourceonline.com Circle 498 or visit www.homecaremag.com for company information Amoena/Post-Surgery Camisol Style 2105 Call 800/726-6362. Web site: www.us.amoena.com Circle…
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  • Earning Your Credentials

    I hope that you have read the February and March 2004 issues of HomeCare magazine very carefully. Among a series of articles advising providers on doing business in these changing times, the importance of accreditation is clearly described. Now, I want to play the Devil’s Advocate. Do we need accreditation? The meaning of accreditation is that someone (of authority) has sanctioned or provided credentials or certification that the recipient has met or complied with specific standards. At a Medtrade Spring panel discussion in Las Vegas, several of the industry’s accrediting organizations made presentations re-viewing their individual programs and respective benefits. What is interesting is that all of these programs have one common thread: They show DME/HME dealers ways to run their businesses more efficiently, and…
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  • Wheel-Chariots of Fire

    Top-tier wheelchair athletes are shattering records and racking up big titles this season — both on the court and on the street. Longmont, Colo.-based Sunrise Medical’s Team Quickie is heralding the performance of star basketball player Jeff Glasbrenner, who set a National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) record at the 56th NWBA Tournament April 4 in Phoenix. Glasbrenner scored 63 points and grabbed 26 rebounds for his team, the Denver Rolling Nuggets. In the process, he smashed the previous NWBA scoring record of 39 points set in 1968. Enmeshed in his performance, however, Glasbrenner was impervious to his record-breaking game. “I was in a zone,” he says. “I couldn’t hear the crowd. I had no idea.” Glasbrenner was named the tournament’s MVP and will go on…
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  • Editor’s Inbox

    Room with a View [Regarding the Dallas power wheelchair scheme (“Texas Déjà Vu,” March 2004)], it turns out I actually sold a case of bedpans to one of the defendants. When I visited him, I couldn’t figure out why he was doing so much mobility business out of a lousy, windowless office in a cheap, shared office suite in an awful location. At least in prison, he’ll get a window! — Janet White, Rehab Exchange/DME Depot LLC, Richardson, Texas Not a Dirty Word As an industry, we need to start standing tough when it comes to reimbursement issues. We are quick to say how much our services are worth when we are talking to payers and legislators, then we accept contracts that don’t even cover…
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  • Suburban Success Story

    For a young DME company based in Stockbridge, Ga., location and careful demographic profiling have been the foundation for rapid growth. New housing developments are springing up in the small town located in Henry County, 25 miles south of Atlanta, virtually overnight. Based on a December 2003 demographic profile, the county is the third fastest-growing county in the United States and the fastest-growing county in Georgia. “A lot of people are moving to the South and working in Atlanta, but they don’t want to live in the city,” explains Darren Tarleton, president and CEO of Mobility Warehouse. The idea for Mobility Warehouse came from the owners of a local Stockbridge pharmacy. The four owners of Moye’s Pharmacy, a five-store, 28-year-old Henry County business and household…
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  • Getting Rid of the FEHBP-Based Cuts

    The quintessential Washington wisdom this year is that of all election years — it will not be an active legislative season. So the HME industry must use this time to enlist political support for the objectives we have, both short-term and long-term. Although it appears all attention is focused on the presidential election, Congress is still charged with a number of must-do actions this year. As an industry, we simply have too many issues on our plate to be politically complacent. Think of the sheer number of issues imposed on our industry by the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA). We cannot afford to sit on the sidelines. In the short term, we are faced with reimbursement cuts for five categories of DME slated for January 2005…
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  • Get Ready, Get Set

    Remember the saying “look to your left, look to your right, one of you …?” Today, that sentence can be finished with “… will be in a competitive bidding area in 2007.” An alternative ending is “… two of you will be in competitive bidding in 2009.” That’s right, one out of three providers in 2007, and two out of three in 2009. A couple of weeks ago the following message was in my e-mail inbox: “I run a smooth HME respiratory business. Dropping around 8 percent to the bottom line. $2.2 million in annual revenue. Does your group have a strategy in the competitive bidding arena?” The address indicated that this forward-thinking provider is located in one of the country’s 10 largest metropolitan statistical…
    Read More →: Get Ready, Get Set

  • Hobson Drafts Legislation To Repeal 2005 Reimbursement Cuts

    Washington A U.S. Representative plans to introduce legislation that would repeal 2005 reimbursement cuts for some DME products and oxygen. The Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) implements the cuts next year for manual and power wheelchairs, nebulizers, diabetic supplies, air mattresses and oxygen. Cuts will be based on an Office of Inspector General (OIG) report on Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan (FEHBP) median pricing and a forthcoming OIG report on home oxygen and oxygen equipment. But Rep. David Hobson, R-Ohio, said he wants to stop the cuts from happening. In a letter to House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Calif., former chairman of the Medicare Conference, Hobson said he planned to draft legislation to rescind the reimbursement-cut provision in MMA. “I continue to…
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