People & Places

Hackbarth Is New MEDPac Chairman: Gail Wilensky, chairman of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission and Health Care Financing Administration administrator under the first Bush administration, has been replaced, according to David Walker, comptroller general of the United States.

Glenn Hackbarth has been named Wilensky's replacement.

Walker said there was a potential conflict of interest between Wilensky's position as chair of MEDPac and her stock holdings and options in health care companies.

Research

Baseline Projections Show Negative Growth Rate for Home Health: The Congressional Budget Office released its 2001 baseline for Medicare, a projection of spending and revenue levels under current budget policies and economic factors.

The projected growth rate for 2000 for home health dipped into the red at negative 4.5 percent, a 6.1 percent decrease from the 1.6 percent increase in home health for 2000 the CBO projected in 1999.

“This baseline is significant information for policymakers on Capitol Hill to keep in mind as they continue to discuss the 2002 budget,” said Tom Connaughton, president and chief executive officer of the American Association for Homecare. “The home care industry is still recovering from the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Last year's CBO baseline indicated a negative 34.9 percent rate of growth for home health, the most significant among all health care providers.”

Regulatory

New Policy Allows Quicker Beneficiary Access to Lymphedema Pumps: Medicare no longer classifies the use of pneumatic compression pumps by Medicare beneficiaries as a “last resort” treatment for lymphedema, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

“It's important to make effective technologies available to Medicare beneficiaries when it helps them the most,” HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson said. “This coverage decision simplifies Medicare policy to allow older Americans who need these pumps to get them more quickly and easily.”

Under the new coverage policy, if a beneficiary has already tried more conservative care — such as elevation, exercise and use of compression clothing — for at least four weeks with no success, Medicare will pay for a pump.

“HCFA's new coverage process is helping Medicare make the right decisions, based on scientific evidence, on when the program should cover new items, services and procedures,” said Jeffrey Kang, M.D., director of HCFA's Office of Clinical Standards and Quality. “By getting this device, which is proven effective, to beneficiaries sooner, we are improving the health care available to the senior citizens and disabled Americans who rely on Medicare.”

For more information, go to http://www.hcfa.gov/coverage/8b3-z.htm.

Blood Glucose Test Strip Edit Rescinded: The Health Care Financing Administration rescinded change request 1300 contained in program memorandum transmittal B-01-11, issued Feb. 14.

Set for implementation on July 1, the rescinded change request would have allowed the durable medical equipment regional carriers to deny claims for blood glucose test strips without appropriate “start” and “end” dates on the claim forms.

New Site Survey Lacks Surety Bond Requirement: Unlike past site surveys, the proposed site inspection survey published by the Health Care Financing Administration for home medical equipment providers doesn't require proof that a provider has a surety bond.

The new survey, conducted by the National Supplier Clearinghouse to verify supplier enrollment information and provider adherence to the 21 supplier standards, can be found on the American Association for Homecare's Web site at http://www.aahomecare.org.

Conferences

The Med Group Holds Annual Member Conference: San Antonio, Texas was the setting for The Med Group Annual Member Conference May 1-4. The event featured motivational speaker W. Mitchell, author of The Man Who Would Not Be Defeated. In addition to break-out sessions led by Med members, David T. Williams offered insight into Washington doings.

Awards were also presented to several members. Don White of Amherst, N.Y.-based Associated Healthcare Systems, received the annual Founder's Award, Velma Goertzen of Health-E-Quip, Hutchinson, Kan., accepted the Lewie Bates Award and the Sandler Award was presented to Les DeFelice of Wheeling, W.V.-based DeFelice Mobility. David Low and Monica Young were also recognized for service to Med members and staff, as were those who have been members for 10 years and all of the new members in attendance.