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AHRQ: Too Many Patients with Chronic Illness Enter ER
ROCKVILLE, Md.--A large portion of emergency room admissions include patients with chronic conditions that should have been managed outside of the hospital, according to a new statistical brief from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality....
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PMD Rule to be Released Wednesday
BALTIMORE--The long-awaited final rule on documentation and payment procedures for Medicare power mobility devices is scheduled to be published this Wednesday, CMS announced....
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Braff Group: DRA Could Spike M&A Activity
PITTSBURGH--The Deficit Reduction Act's 36-month cap on Medicare home oxygen equipment could drastically alter the HME merger and acquisition climate, according to a report released last week by The Braff Group....
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AAHomecare Sets 2006 Advocacy Priorities
WASHINGTON--Fighting for the repeal of the 36-month rental cap on home oxygen is among the top legislative and regulatory priorities the American Association for Homecare has set for 2006....
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House Budget Plan Includes No Medicare Cuts
WASHINGTON--President Bush proposed $36 billion in Medicare funding reductions over five years in his 2007 budget--including shortening the 36-month rental cap on home oxygen to 13 months. But last week, the House of Representatives Budget Committee gave its approval to a $2.8 trillion budget blueprint without the reimbursement cuts, and without any cuts to Medicaid....
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Consumer Group Challenges Constitutionality of DRA
WASHINGTON--A consumer-rights organization has filed a lawsuit that claims the Deficit Reduction Act is unconstitutional because the House of Representatives did not approve the version signed by President Bush....
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Rehab Carve-Out Introduced in Congress
WASHINGTON--Legislation that would carve out rehab and assistive technology from competitive bidding has been introduced in the House of Representatives....
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Last Chance for Patient Choice: Get on the Bus
LAS VEGAS--After its January protest outside Rep. Bill Thomas' office in Bakersfield, Calif., Last Chance for Patient Choice is planning another rally, this time in Washington, D.C.--and this time much bigger....
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CMS Expands O2 Coverage
BALTIMORE--CMS will expand Medicare home oxygen coverage criteria for beneficiaries enrolled in a CMS-approved clinical trial....
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CMS Announces HCPCS Meeting Dates
BALTIMORE--CMS is planning several public meetings this year on the 2006 Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System. The meetings, which will be held at CMS headquarters in Baltimore, provide a forum for those interested to make oral presentations or submit written comments in response to preliminary HCPCS coding and payment determinations. ...
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Rep. Thomas Announces Retirement
BAKERSFIELD, Calif.--Rep. Bill Thomas, the House Ways and Means Committee chairman who has been at odds with the HME industry for years, announced last week that he will not seek re-election. The California Republican's current term, his 14th, ends in nine months....
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DMERCs Get Further Instructions on IFR
BALTIMORE--CMS will continue to give providers some leeway with power mobility claims through the end of the month. In instructions issued Friday to the Durable Medical Equipment Regional Carriers and the new Program Safeguard Contractors, CMS explained that it will not enforce some details of the Interim Final Rule for power mobility devices until April 1. ...
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CMS Warns of Medicare Scam
BALTIMORE--CMS is warning seniors and people with disabilities to be aware of a scheme that asks Medicare beneficiaries for money and checking account information to enroll them in a nonexistent prescription drug plan. ...
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