WASHINGTON — In a recent advisory opinion, the Office of Inspector General frowned on the use of a proposed online referral service in which home care providers would pay a fee to electronically receive and respond to referral requests from hospitals.
HomeCare News
ATLANTA — As Round 1 of competitive bidding leaves the HME landscape littered with casualties, as audits cripple revenues and the futures of both Medicare and Medicaid become increasingly uncertain, providers are looking to move out of their comfort zones and find new ways of doing business. For some, that means opening the door to retail.
WASHINGTON — Yesterday the Office of Management and Budget released preliminary regulatory review plans from 30 federal agencies noting regulations on the books that will either be modified or ditched altogether.
The following YouTube video from Harvard Medical School shows Shaquille O'Neal having a sleep study and being diagnosed with OSA. Check it out!
WASHINGTON — At two Capitol Hill briefings yesterday, economist Peter Cramton once again warned Congress that Medicare's DMEPOS competitive bidding program will fail.
SAN DIEGO — Sleep sector giant ResMed has announced a reorganization and restructuring of management "that will strengthen our focus on the key drivers for ResMed's future growth, improve our ability to deliver in these areas and result in more effective investment initiatives," according to Chairman and CEO Peter C. Farrell, PhD.
WASHINGTON — Former Connecticut Rep. Nancy Johnson and Professor Peter Cramton will present a congressional staff briefing on competitive bidding tomorrow, and industry stakeholders hope it will reveal the picture they see of the program's devastating effects.
CORDOVA, Ala. — Almost a month after a string of storms devastated wide swaths of the southern United States, Ken Glover, RPH, quietly opened the doors of a large trailer and filled prescriptions for grateful patients. The sturdy 100-year-old building that once housed Glover Drug in Cordova, Ala., was no more, heavily damaged by two tornadoes on April 27.
The following from the American Association for Homecare appeared in the organization's May 18 newsletter.
WASHINGTON — The debate about raising the debt ceiling will suck up a lot of oxygen in Congress over the months ahead. This means we will have to fight to maintain a focus on the need to repeal bidding in Washington — a city that suffers from attention as well as budget deficits.
BALTIMORE — CMS has scheduled its next Home Health, Hospice and DME Open Door for Wednesday, May 25, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET.
To register for the audio-only streaming web forum, go to www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/events/event.asp?id=642.
HARTFORD, Conn. — Home health benefits manager CareCentrix has inked a deal with BlueCross BlueShield of Florida to become the exclusive provider of home health services for the insurer's nearly 4 million members in the state, including coordination of home infusion therapies and DME.
WASHINGTON — President George W. Bush will address attendees at the fifth annual medtech conference hosted by the Advanced Medical Technology Association. AdvaMed 2011 will be held in Washington, D.C., at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center Sept. 26-28.
President Bush will give an afternoon address on Sept. 27 as well as participate in a moderated Q&A forum.
ATLANTA — GF Health Products made it official May 12 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new Atlanta facility, which relocates the company's Lumex recliner production from Taiwan.
LAKE JACKSON, Texas — Active American Mobility & Medical Supply is planning an open house Wednesday (May 26) to celebrate its new facility, which includes an accessible bathroom display with a roll-in shower. The company will have a home modification specialist on hand during the all-day event.
The provider is based in Stafford, Texas.
PHILADELPHIA — Merger-and-acquisition firm Paragon Ventures has announced the addition of Patrick Dulany, Esq. With more than 30 years of experience in the health care industry, Dulany was most recently COO and general counsel of Bedford, N.H.-based Infusion Solutions, which was recently sold.
OXFORD, Mich. — Essentially Women held its 11th annual conference and trade show last month in Glendale, Ariz. Called Focus on the Future, the show's courses offered information on business development, management, successful sales, merchandising, marketing techniques and accreditation. Exhibits showcased products including post-breast surgery, compression, lingerie, orthopedics, wigs, lymphedema, breast cancer awareness and other medical equipment and supplies.
HINGHAM, Mass. — According to a May 20 notice from NHIC, the Jurisdiction A DME MAC, on glucose monitor supplies, recent data analysis for Jurisdiction A shows instances where beneficiaries have received supplies that exceed the policy's usual utilization amounts.
While there may be occasions when a beneficiary may require greater than expected amounts, the notice said, "There are specific requirements associated with the provision of higher than usual utilization amounts."
INDIANAPOLIS — National Government Services, the Jurisdiction B DME MAC, will hold a webinar for small suppliers who bill oxygen and oxygen equipment on Tuesday, May 31, at 10 a.m. ET. Specific topics include certification and recertification requirements and issues, duplicate claim issues and documentation requirements.
HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. — Allstate Insurance is looking to recover $2.1 million against 37 New York area defendants in a lawsuit alleging DME companies and wholesalers submitted fraudulent and misleading bills. The complaint specifically cites 11 DME companies owned by nine individuals, and 11 DME wholesale companies owned by six individuals.
CHICAGO — From 1990 to 2009, the number of hospital emergency departments in urban areas dropped by 27 percent — from 2,446 to 1,779 — while the number of ED visits increased, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.