ANSWERS TO YOUR INDUSTRY QUESTIONS

How will the compensation of suppliers who did not win in the competitive bidding project but were compensated by exception under orthotics and oxygen figure into the total savings bid?

THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS for beneficiaries who purchase noncustomized orthotics during the Polk County, Fla., demonstration. Suppliers who provide oxygen for grandfathered beneficiaries will be reimbursed using the demonstration's prices. We will be able to report to what extent grandfathered beneficiaries account for the demonstration's savings. Once the demonstration ends, beneficiaries may rent or purchase their equipment and supplies from any supplier with an active National Supplier Clearinghouse number. Allowances for the affected durable medical equipment will revert to the prevailing fee schedule. The demonstration's effectiveness must be fully evaluated by the General Accounting Office and an external agency before competitive bidding can be considered as an alternative to current Medicare pricing methodologies.

How do I know which products to merchandise in our home health care retail showroom?

THERE IS NO one-size-fits-all answer for the home health care product selections. Providers can no longer afford to carry every product. Stock the products your loyal customers buy on a repeated basis and any other products that might also appeal to their needs and values. Merchandise demographically to provide a senior, boomer, family or caregiver selection. Or just start with the basic mobility and bath safety categories and customize related categories and products according to your customers' needs.

Can a patient who is non-insulin-treated receive more than 100 test strips and lancets in a three-month period?

A PATIENT WHO is not being treated with insulin may receive more than 100 test strips and lancets if (1) there is documentation in the physician's records (a specific narrative statement that adequately documents the frequency of testing or a copy of the beneficiary's testing log ), or (2) a copy of the beneficiary's testing log is in the supplier's records and shows the patient is actually testing at a frequency that justifies the quantity of supplies dispensed. If the patient is regularly exceeding utilization guidelines, documentation must be updated every six months.