WASHINGTON — Signaling the new Congress' intention to tackle the issue of health care early on next year, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., last week unveiled a comprehensive reform plan that drew both kudos and cautions from HME industry stakeholders.
While they commended the plan for building a more efficient health care system, they did not overlook its red flags.
BALTIMORE — CMS held a Special Open Door Forum Thursday to introduce its new Recovery Audit Contractors, tabbed in October to ferret out Medicare overpayments and underpayments. The RACs will be paid a contingency fee based on the amount of the improper payments they correct.
BALTIMORE — Along with a slew of new oxygen payment rules, Medicare's 2009 Physician Fee Schedule (PDF) put the final nail in the Medicare home sleep testing coffin for HME providers.
Still, attorney Neil Caesar said the final rule is more favorable when it comes to referrals.
WASHINGTON--A group of more than 75 health advocacy organizations is urging the next Congress to end the 24-month wait for Medicare coverage faced by people with disabilities.
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--Last week, Intel Corp. rolled out its first medical device with its introduction of the Intel Health Guide, a care management tool for patients with chronic conditions.
WASHINGTON--The United States recovered more than $1.1 billion lost to fraud in federal health care programs for fiscal 2008, the Department of Justice said Nov. 10.
Cases involving whistleblowers accounted for a majority of the recoveries, according to a DOJ release. The figures bring total recoveries since 1986, when Congress substantially strengthened the False Claims Act, to more than $21 billion.
ATLANTA — Last week's election of Sen. Barack Obama as the next president of the United States and a stream of new Democrats in both the House of Representatives and the Senate could bode well for the home medical equipment industry—or not.
ATLANTA — Following CMS' Oct. 30 release of regulations involving changes to Medicare home oxygen policy and payment, some stakeholders involved in the sector said they believe the new rules are punitive.
While in July the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act reversed the oxygen equipment transfer to beneficiaries called for under 2005's Deficit Reduction Act, it left the DRA's 36-month oxygen rental cap in place.
BALTIMORE — CMS is accepting comments on the oxygen regulations until 5 p.m. EST Dec. 29. In commenting, refer to file code CMS-1403-FC. Comments can be submitted in one of four ways:
BALTIMORE — The four recently named recovery audit contractors poised to begin provider education this month were told last week to halt all work pending a review of protests filed by two companies that failed to win RAC contracts, CMS said.
ATLANTA — At an update on competitive bidding during Medtrade Oct. 28, Palmetto GBA Content and Policy Lead Cindy Dreher spoke to an audience of HME providers who slammed her with questions regarding changes to Round 1.2 and when it will happen. And though they left the session with Dreher's assurances of a "successful" process, they got no new information.
LAKE FOREST, Calif — Apria Healthcare Group announced Oct. 28 that The Blackstone Group has completed its acquisition of the giant provider for approximately $1.7 billion. Under terms of the agreement, Apria stockholders will receive $21 in cash for each share of common stock they own.
CHATSWORTH, Calif., and NAPLES, Fla. — CHAD Therapeutics announced Oct. 29 that that it has suspended operations due to the inability to raise additional capital. Following the sale of its oxygen business to Inovo in February, the company had been looking for capital to market products it was developing for the sleep disorder market, including its proprietary FloCHANNEL Diagnostic System, which received FDA clearance in July.
MURRYSVILLE, Pa. — During Medtrade last month, Philips Home Healthcare Solutions CEO John L. Miclot announced he had resigned from Philips Respironics to take the top spot at CCS Medical.
The American Association for Homecare reported last week it has requested a delay in implementation of the initial face-to-face clinical evaluation requirement under the revised LCD for PAP devices, released Sept. 18.
Late last month, the DME MACs advised providers the least costly alternative for DuoNeb—which would pay for the brand medication at the same rate as generic ipratropium and albuterol—has been withdrawn from the nebulizer LCD.
CMS has revised its NCD for CPAP therapy.
Knoxville, Tenn.-based Omni Healthcare, which provides home infusion pharmacy products, DME and respiratory therapy, has been acquired by Birmingham, Ala.-based Principle Pharmacy Group.
With eight staff members, Omni's Memphis Specialty Clinic provides home infusion services and specialty compounded preparations to hospitals and home patients, and plans to expand operations to long-term care facilities.
