WASHINGTON—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has added 10 HCPCS codes to the list of those that require face-to-face encounter and a written order, bringing the total up to 63 codes, according to VGM Government Relations.
The new codes, all for back, knee and ankle or foot braces, are:
|
OWINGS MILLS, Maryland—The Board of Certification/Accreditation (BOC) announced it has grown its leadership team with leadership growth through the addition of Jane Webster as vice president of strategy, growth and Regulatory Affairs. LAKEWOOD RANCH and CLEARWATER, Florida—Jonathan D. Fleece has been named president and CEO of Empath Health and its affiliate programs. Fleece was most recently Empath Health president as well as president and CEO of Tidewell Hospice, a member of Empath Health. This transition follows the retirement of previous CEO Rafael J. Sciullo. TROY, Michigan—Best Life Brands, LLC has announced Jennifer LoBianco as chief marketing officer (CMO). DALLAS—Palliative care providers using Axxess can now expand their business with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) payment models. LAFAYETTE, Louisiana—Viemed Healthcare, Inc., a respiratory care and technology-enabled home medical equipment services company, announced that it has made a strategic investment in ModoHealth, a value-based care and patient management platform connecting payors, patients, and post-acute providers. 
Everyone knows that in the days after COVID, demand for home repairs and maintenance skyrocketed. DALLAS—With the final Medtrade East wrapping up in October 2022, a new era for the nation’s largest home medical equipment (HME)-focused trade show is set to begin. The first newly unified show is scheduled for March 28-30 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in downtown Dallas. LOS ANGELES—The founders of Clear Health Advisors, Byrdie Lifson Pompan and Valerie Ulene, have launched Boom Home Medical, a company with a mission to radically reinvent home medical products with beautifully designed, highly functional and easy-to-use products that empower people to care for themselves with dignity. TROY, Michigan—ComForCare, a franchised provider of in-home caregiving services, was recognized as one of the top 500 franchises in Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500. BOSTON—Rendever, a virtual reality (VR) company, announced its acquisition of Alcove, a popular consumer VR platform publicly available to families at home through their own VR headsets. WASHINGTON, DC—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) should require hospice care providers to report all allegations of abuse and neglect immediately to survey agencies, regardless of whether the alleged perpetrator is affiliated with the hospice, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) urged in a new report. The Department of Health and Human Services neither agreed nor disagreed with GAO's recommendation.
WASHINGTON—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will hold an open-door forum for home health, hospice and durable medical equipment (DME) providers on Wednesday, January 11 at 2 p.m. Eastern. Participants should call in at least 15 minutes before the start time. The agenda as provided by CMS is:
WILLOW GROVE, Pennsylvania—A Pennsylvania homecare agency has been ordered to pay more than $3.8 million in back wages and damages after its employees accused it of withholding overtime pay. DURHAM, North Carolina—Arosa, a provider of integrated care management and caregiving services, celebrated 13 caregivers who received Ceca Awards in recognition of their exceptional care delivery and also announced two new locations. San Antonio—Caring Senior Service, a private-duty, non-medical senior homecare services company, announced that it has tapped Jeff Bevis as its new chief operating officer tasked with expanding the company’s franchising opportunities, accelerating its revenue growth and showcasing its proprietary technology. CINCINNATI—Quipt Home Medical Corp. has bought Great Elm Healthcare, LLC, a division of Great Elm Group, Inc. that operates a complete line of respiratory-related durable medical equipment (DME) service locations across eight states in the Midwest, Southwest and Pacific Northwest and had $60 million in revenue last year. NASHVILLE, Tennessee—Monogram Health, a value-based specialty provider of in-home evidence-based care and benefit management services for patients living with polychronic conditions, including chronic kidney and end-stage renal disease, has closed on $375 million of new funding. 
Expect 2023 to be a big year for Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), which have been gaining attention since the COVID-19 pandemic drew public attention to failures in the health care system. The PACE Innovation Act allows pilot programs to expand their reach, and the Alliance for PACE Innovation and Quality has launched a new project in 2023 designed to hit a target of 200,000 PACE participants in five years. |
