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OIG Fraud Report Hits Just Days Before Industry Takes to Capitol Hill
WASHINGTON--Once again, stories of DME fraud and abuse showed up in headline news last week following the release of a report by the HHS Office of Inspector General, which found that, in Los Angeles County alone, 115 of 905 suppliers (13 percent) did not maintain physical facilities or were not open during unannounced site visits....
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U.S. Health Care Spending Headed to $4.3 Trillion by 2017
WASHINGTON--U.S. spending on health care is expected to double by 2017, reaching $4.3 trillion and accounting for nearly 20 percent--$1 for every $5 spent--of the gross domestic product, according to a CMS forecast published in the journal Health Affairs. ...
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Tanner-Hobson Lite in the Works?
WASHINGTON--In a race against time, key industry stakeholders are seeking to salvage the best of the Tanner-Hobson bill, which sought to lessen the effects of competitive bidding, and fashion it into legislation that would have a strong chance of passing this year. ...
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NAIMES Launches Petition to Stop Competitive Bidding
HALIFAX, Va.--In just two days last week, more than 1,000 HME providers and beneficiaries signed an online petition to stop competitive bidding, said Wayne Stanfield, president and CEO of the National Association of Independent Medical Equipment Suppliers. ...
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Senators Push to Prevent Oxygen Cuts
WASHINGTON--With a "Dear Colleague" letter sent last week, Sens. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., and Pat Roberts, R-Kan., urged the Senate Budget Committee to reject the cuts to home oxygen proposed in President Bush's 2009 budget. ...
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VGM Signs 10-Year Deal with Brightree
DULUTH, Ga., and WATERLOO, IOWA--Last week The VGM Group and Brightree, an HME business services company, announced an exclusive 10-year partnership that will deliver an array of Internet-centric services to providers. ...
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Standard No. 29: What the Changes Could Mean for You
By all accounts, the effects of CMS' proposed revision and expansion of supplier standards for DMEPOS will be far-reaching. In a special series for HomeCare Monday leading up to the March 25 deadline for comments, health care attorney Neil B. Caesar, president of the Health Law Center, Greenville, S.C., will help provide clarification and insight on several provisions of the draft rule. This week, Caesar's comments are directed to proposed Standard No. 29, which deals with supplier practice locations....
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Fast Grassroots Action Stalls Surety Bond Legislation
WASHINGTON--In yet another close call for the industry, HME providers can breathe a sigh of relief as, at least for the moment, a recently proposed $500,000 surety bond requirement for Medicare has been taken off the table....
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Accreditation Needs Push, CMS Says
BALTIMORE--During an Open Door Forum on Wednesday, CMS' Sandra Bastinelli once again issued a warning to HME providers: Get on the ball to get accredited--or get left behind. ...
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Open Door Call Reveals Little More on NCB
BALTIMORE--Home medical equipment providers seeking concrete answers to questions about national competitive bidding got little help from CMS during an Open Door call for home health, hospice and durable medical equipment providers on Wednesday. ...
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Covidien Launches New Line of CPAPs
BOULDER, Colo.--In the first of what will be a family of products, Covidien has introduced a CPAP device with a fully integrated heated humidifier. ...
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NCART Commissions Complex Rehab Study; AAH Warns of OIG Audits
WASHINGTON--Propelled by a flurry of potential reimbursement cuts that could imperil providers and beneficiary access alike, the National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology has authorized a two-year study of services, costs and outcomes associated with providing rehab technology, officials said Friday. ...
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Roberts Hangs Tough for HME in Senate Budget Hearing
WASHINGTON--HME champion Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., grilled Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt about cuts to the sector during a Senate Finance Committee hearing Wednesday on President Bush's 2009 budget proposal. ...
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Coram Buy Bumps 2007 Numbers at Apria
LAKE FOREST, Calif.--Apria Healthcare Group announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and twelve months ended Dec. 31, 2007, and the numbers are up....
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R.E.S.T. Aims to Aid Travelers with Sleep Apnea
RENO, Nev.--With an eye toward easing travel difficulties and improving compliance, a new firm will specialize in sending sleep apnea equipment and disposable supplies to a CPAP patient's destination. ...
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