Baltimore
In an Aug. 1 memorandum, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services explained that, while the durable medical equipment
benefit generally applies only to items that a beneficiary uses in
the home, there is an exception to the rule.
If the beneficiary uses the equipment in the home any time
during the month-long billing cycle, then Medicare will pay for the
DME for the entire month. In other words, a beneficiary may spend
part of the month in an institution — where care falls under
Medicare Part A — and still be eligible for the Part B DME
benefit.
More information about this memorandum is available at www.cms.hhs.gov/manuals/default.asp, under the
“Program Memoranda” heading.
60% of people polled on HomeCare's Web site believe that
service in the HME industry is better today than it was before
1997.
For breaking news, go to www.homecaremonday.com, the electronic news service
of the home medical equipment industry.
