WASHINGTON — In November, the Government Accountability Office is expected to publish a report on the cost of providing home oxygen therapy. AAHomecare was invited to review and provide feedback on the draft report but was asked by the GAO not to discuss its details, the association reported.
HomeCare News
BALTIMORE — The DME MACs have released a draft revision of the glucose monitors local coverage determination. The draft policy is open for public comment until Nov. 8. Additional comments will be taken at a joint public meeting with all four DME MAC medical directors on Oct. 26 at the Marriott Baltimore Washington Airport hotel, 1743 West Nursery Rd., Baltimore, MD 21090.
BALTIMORE — CMS' Special Open Door Forum call on enrollment for pharmacies has been rescheduled from Sept. 28 to Wednesday, Oct. 13, from 3:30-5 p.m. ET. During the call, CMS staff will answer questions related to pharmacies that voluntarily disenrolled from Medicare last year.
To listen in, dial 800/837-1935 and reference Conference ID 98955726.
INDIANAPOLIS — CMS has again awarded the DME MAC contract for Jurisdiction B — covering 23,000 DME suppliers in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin — to WellPoint subsidiary National Government Services, which was originally awarded the contract in January 2006.
LUBBOCK, Texas — The MED Group has scheduled a series of competitive bidding seminars for providers who won and lost bids in the Round 1 rebid. Beginning next week, the sessions will be held in each of the nine bidding areas:
BALTIMORE — Nearly 76 percent of DME providers told CMS they're either "satifsifed" or "very satisfied" with their DME MAC's performance, according to the results of this year's Medicare Contractor Provider Satisfaction Survey (MCPSS). Just over 10 percent said they were "dissatisfied" or "very dissatisfied."
WASHINGTON — While CMS rolled out new rules for Medicare enrollment and revalidation earlier this week in an effort to rein in fraud, the agency didn't report all of the adverse actions it took against DME providers and many others, according to a new report from HHS' Office of Inspector General.
WASHINGTON — In written comments submitted to the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, AARP, long considered a champion of senior adults, embraced Medicare's DMEPOS competitive bidding program as a fraud-and-abuse deterrent that would save seniors money.
BALTIMORE — Providers deemed a "high risk" to government insurance programs — including prospective DMEPOS suppliers — face a cadre of new screening tools including criminal background checks and fingerprinting, according to a proposed rule (CMS-6028-P) previewed Monday by CMS.
ATLANTA — In a Sept. 15 hearing on competitive bidding, Karen Lerner told members of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health that the program will "reduce access to care for Medicare beneficiaries, lower the quality of that care, increase costs and kill jobs."
WASHINGTON—It could be considered a David-vs.-Goliath battle. On one side, pushing for competitive bidding, there are the mighty AARP, powerful members of Congress and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
On the other side, there are legions of small home medical equipment providers, patient advocacy groups, the American Association for Homecare and other HME organizations.
ALPHARETTA, Ga.—There's no way to miss the fact that everything is definitely not coming up roses for the HME industry, according to Medtrade Group Show Director Kevin Gaffney. So this year's fall show, set Nov. 15-18 in Atlanta, will arm providers with the information they need to make good decisions in the rapidly changing market.
A proposed rule released Friday by CMS sets out plans for implementing some anti-fraud provisions included in the Affordable Care Act, AAHomecare reported.
CMS will hold a Special Open Door Forum call Tuesday, Sept. 28 to review its plans for implementing Section 3010 of the Affordable care Act for pharmacies and answer questions related to pharmacies who voluntarily disenrolled last year. The call begins at 2 pm ET. To listen in, dial 80/837-1935 and use conference ID 98955726.
A new MLN fact sheet for referral sources on competitive bidding is now available both in downloadable and hardcopy formats. The downloadable version of "The DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program: Fact Sheet for Referral Agents" is available at www.DMEPOSCompetitiveBid/04_educational_resources.asp.
NHIC Corp., the Jurisdiction A DME Medicare administrative contractor, might have paid out $39 million in inappropriate claims for blood glucose test strips and lancets in 2007, according to a report from the Office of Inspector General.
WASHINGTON — Home medical equipment advocates fearing a catastrophe at a Sept. 15 House hearing on competitive bidding instead said they were heartened by much of what they heard — and "fired up" to push even harder against the Medicare program.
WASHINGTON — The government is bringing in a power panel of witnesses to defend Medicare's competitive bidding program at a congressional hearing scheduled Sept. 15.
ATLANTA — "I have never seen any situation that we have experienced that even remotely resembles how dire the situation is right now." Those are the words of Dave McCausland, senior vice president of planning and government affairs for The Roho Group, Belleville, Ill.
McCausland, who has been in the home medical industry for more than 30 years, said Friday the future has never looked as bleak to him as it does now.
WASHINGTON — HME provider Allcare Medical, Old Bridge, N.J., is on the roster to testify at Wednesday's House hearing on Medicare's DMEPOS competitive bidding program.