TIFFIN, Ohio (August 12, 2016)—ECS Billing & Consulting North now offers home health and hospice Billing & Consulting services.
HomeCare News
—Via CMS, WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 12, 2016)—Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated the popular Nursing Home Compare Five-Star Quality Ratings to incorporate new measures, giving families more information at their fingertips to help them make important decisions about care. These new measures look at successful discharges, emergency visits and re-hospitalizations, and complement other nursing home measures previously announced in April.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 12, 2016)—Since becoming acting administrator, I have spoken frequently about to the importance of moving to the next chapter in implementing the Affordable Care Act. This new chapter goes beyond providing people with quality, affordable coverage—but making sure that we are delivering patient-centered care to all consumers at critical stages of their lives.
ATLANTA (August 10, 2016)—Provider Web Capital has launched a new product, Remit LOC, which allows medical practices to establish a facility that works as a line of credit. The goal is to provide owners access to capital without having to abide by the strict repayment structuring of a typical business loan. With this structure, a health care business is approved for a financing line and is only required to take a small draw at closing. The remaining facility is just a phone call away.
—Via AAHomecare WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 10, 2016)—Last week, CMS announced that medical necessity no longer has to be met for replacement of essential accessories for a beneficiary-owned CPAP device or RAD. CMS and CMS contractors will now assume that beneficiary-owned CPAP devices and RADs have met their medical necessity requirements through the 13-month continuous usage.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 8, 2016)—A new national poll of nearly 2,000 registered voters over age 65 sponsored by Bring the Vote Home (BTVH) found that a large majority of U.S. seniors oppose a Medicare policy requiring a government contractor to approve claims for physician-prescribed home health care services, which are often recommended by doctors for elderly patients following hospitalization to ensure a smooth transition from the acute setting to the home.
HILLSBOROUGH, N.J. (08/09/2016)—The IRS has extended the date to file for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) Program to September 28, 2016. WOTC is a program that allows companies to get a tax credit for hiring individuals from certain targeted groups as defined by the Federal Government.
SAN FRANCISCO (August 8, 2016)—Honor, one of the fastest growing companies offering high-quality homecare for older adults, announced today it has raised $42 million in Series B funding led by Thrive Capital. Additional investors include 8VC, Andreessen Horowitz, and Syno Capital.
After announcing $20 million in funding in April of 2015, Honor launched service in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles.
DALLAS (August 4, 2016)—Epic Health Services Inc., a portfolio company of Webster Capital and Dallas-based provider of pediatric skilled nursing, therapy, developmental, enteral and respiratory services, announced today that it has acquired Las Vegas-based Spring View Home Health Care, which offers private duty nursing services for both children and adults, as well as therapy and skilled nursing services for adults.
DALLAS (August 4, 2016)—Epic Health Services Inc., a portfolio company of Webster Capital and Dallas-based provider of pediatric skilled nursing, therapy, developmental, enteral and respiratory services, announced today that it has expanded into Michigan with the acquisition of Pediatric Special Care Inc. Based in Southfield, Michigan, Pediatric Special Care is the only pediatric-focused nursing and home medical equipment company in Michigan.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 3, 2016)—Medicare announced that the average basic premium for a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan in 2017 is projected to remain relatively stable at an estimated $34 per month. This represents an increase of approximately $1.50 over the actual average premium of $32.56 in 2016.
CLEVELAND, Ohio (August 3, 2016)—Compass Health Brands is pleased to announce the acquisition of Meridian Medical, a leading manufacturer and supplier of gel overlays, seating/positioning cushions, therapeutic support surfaces, lymphedema systems and respiratory products. Terms of the purchase are not being disclosed.
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (Aug. 3, 2016)—Numotion has announced a new partnership with SoftWheel to be the exclusive distributor of its in-wheel suspension technology for wheelchairs in the United States. The innovative technology enhances user-ride capabilities, providing extraordinary rigidity and stability for manual wheelchair users, effectively reducing the level of daily pain and discomfort that can result from wheelchair use. SoftWheel by Numotion products will be available to U.S.
ATLANTA (August 3, 2016)—A 6-hour workshop on day one of Medtrade 2016 aims to shed light on medical document compliance. Joe Simanton, senior product owner, Computers Unlimited (makers of TIMS Software), will preside over the workshop, scheduled for 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m, October 31, 2016, at Medtrade.
ATLANTA (August 3, 2016)—Do you wish to share your expertise with attendees at Medtrade Spring 2017? The event is scheduled for February 27–March 1, 2017, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.
If you have an interesting program/educational session idea, share your experience and knowledge by submitting a proposal. By submitting an abstract, you could help shape the educational conferences at Medtrade Spring 2017 and positively impact providers throughout the country.
BALL GROUND, Ga. (August 3, 2016)—CAIRE Inc., a Chart Industries Company, announced this week the creation of a new equipment refurbishment program—the CAIRE Certification Program—for portable and stationary oxygen concentrators that are out of warranty.
AMSTERDAM (August 2, 2016) Philips Respironics, a business of Royal Philips, today announced that its Trilogy family of portable ventilators, the most widely used ventilators in North America, will be activated to connect to the Care Orchestrator care management application. With complex respiratory illnesses including neuromuscular disorders and COPD on the rise in the United States, this respiratory care service will enable enhanced care for patients in the home.
AMSTERDAM, (August 2, 2016)—Philips Respironics, a division of Royal Philips, announced today that their SimplyGo Mini portable oxygen concentrator (POC) conforms to all applicable Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements for POC carriage and in-flight use on board aircraft.*
WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 2, 2016)—The Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare—a coalition of home health providers dedicated to improving the integrity, quality, and efficiency of home health care for our nation's seniors—has expressed disappointment that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is proceeding with the implementation of the pre-claim review demonstration applicable to all home health agencies in the state of Illinois on August 1.