It's no secret that the HME industry is under siege from the implementation of DME MAC and Zone Program Integrity Contractor (ZPIC) prepayment reviews. "If the prepayment review is conducted as a Medical Review (MR) by a DME MAC, then certain rights are given to the HME provider.
HomeCare News
By Roberta Domos, RRT
No, I'm not a DME supplier (or health care provider as I like to refer to my fellow DME colleagues, since you really do provide the health care services that keep chronically ill patients from eating up hospital dollars). No, I'm just a DME consultant who has tried to help providers navigate through these troublesome waters for what seems like eons.
BALTIMORE — CMS and its Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor will hold two calls on the bid program this week. A Tuesday (Nov. 16) call targets referral agents, and a Wednesday call (Nov. 17) is Part 2 of the CBIC's discussion for contract suppliers (Part 1 was held Nov. 10).
ORLANDO, Fla. — "With the recent refinancing of the company's senior debt we now look to refinancing the company's senior subordinated debt as soon as possible, subject to favorable company financial performance and market conditions," Rotech Healthcare President and CEO Philip Carter stated in a release last week on results from Q3, ended Sept 30. The company announced in July it had been awarded 17 contracts under Round 1 of competitive bidding.
LEBANON, Tenn. — Permobil has completed the move to its new North American Operations Center and opened for business at the 120,000-sq. ft. building on Nov. 8. Located on a 17-acre site, the new plant — which features technically advanced manufacturing and a variety of green-building technologies — doubles the size of the Swedish manufacturer's previous facilities here.
BELLEVILLE, Ill. — An 11,600-sq.ft. expansion of The Roho Group's factory completed recently will provide additional warehouse space for raw materials, according to a release. Shipping and delivery areas were also expanded with two new receiving docks and a driver security area.
BALTIMORE — CMS will hold its next regularly scheduled Open Door Forum for home health, hospice and DME on Dec. 1 from 2-3 p.m. ET. To listen in, call 800/837-1935 and use conference ID 24747689.
NEW YORK — OSA patients might blame their daytime difficulties on sleepiness, but new research suggests that their brains could be to blame, according to a study from Italian researchers published in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Specifically, their cognitive challenges may be caused by structural deficits in gray matter, brought on by the intermittent oxygen deprivation that comes with OSA.
From HomeCareXtra's Medtrade Planner
COLUMBIA, S.C. — "We would like to extend our congratulations to you on winning the contracts for the Round 1 rebid. And we most importantly want to welcome you as a vital part of the success of this competitive bidding program, and we do look forward to working with you over the next few years," Cindy Dreher told listeners on a call for bid winners held Nov. 10.
BALTIMORE — A multi-slide presentation held Monday afternoon (available for download as a PDF) and aimed at Round 1 providers who failed to win a competitive bidding contract yielded a lot of information — but a super-tight deadline to make crucial decisions. Specifically, non-contrac
ATLANTA — Two days after CMS released the long-awaited list of DMEPOS competitive bidding contract holders, HME stakeholders were sifting through the Round 1 competitive bidding data — and what they find could be crucial to the future of the industry.
WASHINGTON — Competitive bidding isn't the only thing providers have to contend with as of January. On Nov. 2, CMS released its Medicare physician fee schedule final rule for 2011. Among other provisions, the new rule finalizes elimination of the first-month purchase option for power wheelchairs and authorizes the implementation of a national mail order bid for diabetes supplies.
The rules take effect Jan. 1, 2011.
ATLANTA — Keeping up with reimbursement requirements and policy changes is something Kim Brummett does on a daily basis, and she'll share her knowledge with other providers during Medtrade's Pre-Show Conference Nov. 15.
By Randy Wolfe, member, American Association for Homecare
During the last few years, our industry has been learning new ways to tell our story about home care, HME and the value and protection we provide for our patients. With our industry's new focus on public relations, communications and advocacy for our patients, we have been able to shift the emphasis of our public discussions to the homes of families and the patients we care for across the country.
ATLANTA — Have something to say to the CBIC? Or the MACs? Or the NSC? Representatives from these contractors, as well as the CEDI, will be on hand at Medtrade to take questions and offer information in Booth 1861.
The DME MACs will also give an hour-long "Medicare Updates" presentation on Wednesday, Nov. 17, from 8 - 9 a.m. The CBIC is scheduled to present on Thursday, Nov. 18, at 8:30 a.m.
BALTIMORE — Under Medicare's sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula, CMS' final physician fee schedule rule for 2011 requires physician payments to be reduced on Dec. 1, 2010, and then again on Jan. 1, 2011. "The total reduction in [Medicare physician fee schedule] rates between November 2010 and January 2011 under the [SGR] system will be 24.9 percent," according to the rule.
SUAWNEE, Ga. — Medical supplies company UroMed launched its new website Nov. 5 (www.uromed.com) offering patients a variety of catheter, urological and incontinence products. The site also provides medical updates on catheter use as well as educational videos and reference materials on spinal cord injury, spina bifida and multiple sclerosis.
BALTIMORE — Less than two months before the implementation of Round 1 competitive bidding, CMS revealed the names of winning contract suppliers Nov. 3 — and there were some surprises.
BALTIMORE — The CBIC posted another raft of updated documents on its website today dealing with grandfathering information under competitive bidding.