industry

HME

  • Product Innovation, Legislative Updates Draw 21,000 to Medtrade Show

    Atlanta Despite looming Medicare reform legislation and a moratorium on new supplier numbers, attendance was strong at Medtrade 2003, held Oct. 9-11 at the Georgia World Congress Center. The HME industry trade show drew more than 21,000 home medical equipment providers and other home health care professionals for the second straight year. Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark., opened the show with an address to attendees at the American Association for Homecare’s “Washington Update,” sponsored by HomeCare. Ross, who strongly opposes competitive bidding provisions in H.R. 1, the House of Representatives version of Medicare reform, said there is a great deal of ignorance on Capitol Hill about the HME business and how providers work. “Many members think you pick a price you want to charge and send…
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  • CMS to Process Some Supplier Numbers

    Baltimore Responding to concerns regarding the National Supplier Clearinghouse provider-number moratorium, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Tom Scully said the agency will process some provider numbers this month. During an Oct. 7 CMS Open Door Forum covering home health, hospice and DME, Scully said CMS staff and its regional offices would look at new supplier numbers on a case-by-case basis starting Nov. 1. He said whether a company is issued a number or not will depend on, among other factors, how far along a provider is in the application process. Scully warned, however, that applications from providers entering the program for the first time are not likely to see an outcome until January 2004. Although he apologized for any hardship providers face because…
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  • Latest HME News

  • Heard at the Show

    Some of the HME industry’s hottest issues were the subject of discussion among Medtrade speakers and attendees alike. Following are comments on just a few of the topics that dominated conversation at the show. On Medicare reform* — “We don’t know what will really happen. [AAHomecare] is still fighting because we can’t let just this small segment of our industry support the Medicare prescription drug benefit … We have had quite a few new letters come in against competitive bidding and also against the copay for home health and a lot of other issues that are hurting the whole frame of home care.” — Kay Cox, president and CEO, American Association for Homecare *According to Cox, AAHomecare received 20,000 responses from association members, industry providers,…
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  • RATC Rehab Code Applications Get Cold Shoulder from CMS

    The home health care industry should not expect any new HCPCS codes to result from applications filed this year by the Alexandria, Va.-based American Association for Homecare’s Re/hab and Assistive Technology Council (RATC). That was one of the subjects of the session entitled “Re/hab Issues Update,” presented by Rita Hostak, chair of the council. Hostak, who also is vice president of government relations for Longmont, Colo.-based Sunrise Medical, told the audience that, earlier this year, RATC submitted 35 new code applications for power and manual wheelchairs, alternative positioning, seating and bath safety. Preliminary recommendations by the Baltimore-based Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services indicated that none of the applications would be approved this year, she added. However, approximately 50 new HCPCS codes for wheelchair accessories,…
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  • HomeCaring Awards Presented

    HomeCare has presented Donald H. Adler, president and CEO of Care Medical and Rehabilitation Equipment, Portland, Ore., and David T. Williams, legislative affairs consultant, Invacare, Elyria, Ohio, with the HomeCaring Award for 2003. Sponsored by Medtrade, the awards honor those whose dedication and commitment defines the “caring” that HME is all about. “Medtrade is pleased to sponsor the 2003 HomeCaring Awards because they exemplify the true spirit of the industry,” said Cory Smith, group show director for Medtrade. “This year’s recipients are well-deserving of this award, and prove that this industry is founded on those who continually provide quality care that exceeds expectations.” Adler and Williams were chosen from nominations submitted by HomeCare‘s readers and judged by a five-member panel of industry professionals, including Jerold…
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  • Not Your Father’s Respiratory Therapy

    Respiratory therapy continues to advance in home health care. Industry experts see no end to the market’s steady and, in segments like sleep apnea, skyrocketing growth. “The respiratory sector remains the most important revenue generator for home care providers,” says Erika Laskey, vice president of sales and marketing for CHAD Therapeutics. “Medicare spending for home oxygen grew 13 percent in 2002, and the aging population — the baby boomers — will start to impact our industry in as little as four years. Our future looks bright.” Within the market, two elements continue to shape respiratory product development: cost concerns, and a growing, educated patient base. Sleep Takes Center Stage The sleep disorders segment of the respiratory market is “dynamic,” says Ron Richard, vice president of…
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  • Preventing Medicare Fraud and Abuse

    Recently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced a 10-point plan targeting Medicare fraud and abuse in the power mobility sector. The impetus for this aggressive crackdown was a Houston-based wheelchair scam involving unscrupulous doctors and providers who billed Medicare for power wheelchairs that were either never delivered or substituted with a less expensive model. The scam cost taxpayers millions of dollars, and AAHomecare and durable medical equipment providers applauded CMS for taking action to prevent this type of fraudulent activity from occurring in the future. But, because the new CMS initiative is untested, we need to be diligent in alerting CMS to our concerns and monitoring the effect that it has on the vast majority of law-abiding DME providers and the patients they…
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  • What Do We Do Now?

    Those of us at the Florida Association of Medical Equipment Suppliers were feeling rather proud of ourselves. We had the audacity to sue the State of Florida over competitive bidding for Medicaid DME and actually won!
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  • Houston Power Wheelchair Indictment Unsealed

    Houston The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas has released details of a Houston power wheelchair fraud case that caused the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to implement its “Operation Wheeler Dealer” crackdown. U.S. Attorney Michael Shelby’s office unsealed a 101-count indictment charging six individuals with conspiracy, health care fraud and receiving or paying illegal kickbacks in the multi-million-dollar scheme. The defendants allegedly billed Medicare and Medicaid a total of $32 million and received $16 million for fraudulent claims, according to the indictment. Dr. Anant Mauskar, owner of a Houston medical clinic, is alleged to have routinely received kickbacks from owners of DME companies and individuals for falsely prescribing power wheelchairs. Nadine Norman, Mauskar’s office manager, is accused of setting and receiving…
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  • What’s HOT in HME

    As home medical equipment providers gathered for Medtrade last month in Atlanta, members of HomeCare‘s Editorial Advisory Board got together to talk about the industry’s state of affairs. In the process, these respected HME professionals — the consultants, lobbyists, attorneys and providers that we all turn to for advice — looked ahead to the newest challenges: Medicaid cuts, professionalism and the art of remaining profitable in a tough market. The roundtable exchange also encouraged ideas about how providers can deal with these emerging business concerns, which are certain to affect their companies on a day-to-day basis. A list of the magazine’s participating Editorial Advisory Board members accompanies this article. We hope you learn — and benefit — from reading their comments as you prepare for…
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  • AAHomecare Measures Financial Performance

    HME providers’ overall profits have increased by 11 percent on average since last year, according to the results of the American Association for Homecare’s
    Read More →: AAHomecare Measures Financial Performance

  • Medicare Conferees Consider a Competitive Bidding-CPI Freeze Mix

    Washington At press time, the Alexandria, Va.-based American Association for Homecare reported that conferees appeared to be considering a mix of measures
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