(April 8, 2014)—Today, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General released its report on the bidding program’s Round 1 Rebid. The report is based on a random sampling of winning suppliers and single payment amounts (SPAs).
Although OIG determined that CMS generally selected DME suppliers correctly, the report notes that the agency did make some mistakes.
HomeCare News
WATERLOO, Iowa (March 31, 2014)—In response to Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) request for public comment regarding the expansion for the DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program, VGM Group, Inc., asked medical equipment providers to fill out an online survey.
To simplify the process of submitting public comment, the online survey developed by VGM asks the six questions that mirror those asked by CMS about the expansion of the competitive bidding program.
From Feb.
PARSIPPANY, N.J. (March 31, 2014)—SensorEdge, manufacturer of pressure mapping systems, is partnering with veteran medical manufacturer Blue Chip Medical Products in a strategic partnership to offer pressure mapping solutions that prevent costly pressure ulcers and increase patient comfort.
In 2007, Medicare estimated one pressure ulcer presented an added cost of $43,000 to a hospital stay.
ANDOVER, Mass. (April 2, 2014)—Royal Philips introduced the HomeSafe Wireless System, a new solution that expands access to Lifeline—Philips' medical alert service—to those who do not have a home phone line. According to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau, more than a quarter of U.S. households have eliminated landlines, while cell phone usage has increased dramatically.
ATLANTA (March 31, 2014)—Medtrade’s Digital Conference Library provides access to notes and audio from Medtrade conference sessions. The library allows you to attend a session you may have missed or one you’d like to hear again.
STRONGSVILLE, Ohio and NORWELL, Mass. (March 27, 2014)—Roscoe Medical and Carex Health Brands have announced the merger that will create a combined company positioned to better serve the growing home health care market with dominant market distribution across all channels from retail to DME and managed care with an extensive product portfolio. Terms of the merger are not being disclosed.
Combined, the companies have more than 60 years of experience in the home health care market.
Washington, D.C.
Omni Shoreham Hotel
May 7-8
Join peers from around the country for AAH's annual Washington Legislative Conference. It is an opportunity to learn tips and tricks from AAH's team of legislative experts that will help you be more effective when you meet with your members of Congress.
WASHINGTON (April 2, 2014)—Rapid advances in technology and new ways health care is provided to patients have created new opportunities to receive care at home. The health care community is constantly evolving and understanding that not only does home health care reduce the overall cost of treatment, but it also improves the quality of life of patients and their families. In fact, a recent study by the U.S.
WASHINGTON (April 1, 2014)—Last night, the Senate passed legislation that provides a short-term fix, or patch, for the sustainable growth rate (SGR) methodology used to pay physicians who treat Medicare patients. The House passed similar legislation last Thursday, March 27. The patch will be in effect until April 1, 2015.
WASHINGTON (March 31, 2014)—Budget politics are a particularly murky process in our Congress. For months, both the House and Senate have been talking about finally passing legislation to fix the sustainable growth rate (SGR) methodology used to pay physicians who treat Medicare patients.
WATERLOO, Iowa (March 25, 2014)—VGM Group, Inc., has been named 2014 Iowa-Nebraska Chapter ESOP Company of the Year.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (March 18, 2014)—SCA, a leading global hygiene and forest products company, announced the addition of American sailor Sara Hastreiter to Team SCA, the only all-female crew to compete in the 2014-2015 Volvo Ocean Race.
Hastreiter, raised in Wyoming and a current resident of Newport, R.I., discovered her passion for sailing less than four years ago.
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (March 25, 2014)—Responsive Respiratory, a leading manufacturer of high‐pressure oxygen products, announced today it has expanded its warehouse and manufacturing facilities for the
third time in five years.
The facility expansion allows for the increased volume of its Private Label Program—a value‐added, product personalization service only offered by RRI.
SOMERSET, Pa. (March 26, 2014)—Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett recently visited DeVilbiss Healthcare’s corporate headquarters in Somerset, Pa., and commended the company for its efforts in bringing jobs back to the U.S.
Gov. Corbett met with DeVilbiss’ management team, toured the manufacturing facility and formally addressed the company’s more than 200 on-site employees.
TORRANCE, Calif. (March 25, 2014)—Convaid, Inc., a leading manufacturer of lightweight, compact-folding, adaptive-assisted wheelchairs, is joining United Parcel Service (UPS) in its sustainability efforts by participating in the freight company’s innovative “UPS carbon neutral” program, allowing shippers to offset the environmental impact of transporting their freight with contributions based on each shipment’s CO2 emissions.
The American Association for Homecare will soon be launching a new communications campaign designed to directly reach out to patients and rally them behind AAHomecare’s advocacy efforts.
The new patient awareness campaign, Save My Medical Supplies, will be aimed directly at patients to build public awareness, and eventually a public outcry, from the millions of people who are receiving care from the HME industry.
To that end, AAHomecare would appreciate your view on patients' level of famili
March 27, 2014—Despite opposition from doctors' groups, on a voice vote Thursday, the House of Representatives passed a one-year patch for Medicare's unpopular sustainable growth-rate formula for physician payments and, in the same bill, extended the implementation deadline for ICD-10 diagnostic and procedural codes for at least one year.
March 27, 2014—SCA, a leading global hygiene and forest products company, has been recognized as a 2014 World's Most Ethical Company by the Ethisphere Institute, an independent center of research that promotes best practices in corporate ethics and governance.
This is the seventh consecutive year that SCA has been named to the global list, which recognizes organizations that continue to raise the bar on ethical leadership and corporate behavior.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (March 26, 2014)—The Board of Directors of Dynamic Healthcare Services, Inc. (DHS) a portfolio company of GMH Ventures, LLC (GMH) and Lakewood Capital, LLC announced Michael Grabko as new Chief Executive Officer effective March 24.
The National Association for Homecare (NAHC) is laying the groundwork for a possible lawsuit against CMS’s implementation of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) home health face-to-face requirements.