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OIG Releases 2006 Work Plan
WASHINGTON--The HHS Office of Inspector General plans to keep a close eye on home medical equipment spending next year. In its 2006 Work Plan released Nov. 16, the agency outlined a number of issues related to HME providers that it intends to investigate. ...
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Apria Restructures Management, Regions
LAKE FOREST, Calif.--Apria Healthcare said it is reorganizing its geographic regions and making changes in upper management to boost sales and streamline operations....
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OIG Releases 2006 Work Plan
WASHINGTON--The HHS Office of Inspector General plans to keep a close eye on home medical equipment spending next year. In its 2006 Work Plan released Nov. 16, the agency outlined a number of issues related to HME providers that it intends to investigate. ...
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AAHomecare Faults CMS' Proposed Quality Standards
ALEXANDRIA, Va.--In a letter to CMS Administrator Mark McClellan, the American Association for Homecare called the agency's proposed quality standards for suppliers "overly prescriptive" and urged the release of more details on accreditation. ...
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Industry Steps Up Push for Hobson-Tanner Bill Support
WASHINGTON--Nearly four months after its introduction, a proposed bill that would make changes to the competitive bidding provision in the Medicare Modernization Act has picked up 49 co-sponsors. But according to Washington insiders, the Hobson-Tanner bill (H.R. 3559) needs 150 additional names to catch Congress' attention. ...
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PAOC Adds New Member
BALTIMORE--Michael Tootell, director of health policy for the Ross Products Division of Abbott Laboratories, is the newest member of the government committee charged with advising CMS on implementing Medicare's DME competitive bidding program. ...
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OIG Conducts Home Oxygen Study
WASHINGTON--The HHS Office of Inspector General is currently conducting a survey among home oxygen providers, the American Association of Homecare reported, and industry leaders fear it could lead to further cuts in reimbursement rates....
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CMS Reduces Improper Payments by Half
BALTIMORE--Aggressive oversight and new improvement efforts have cut the number of improper fee-for-service Medicare claims payments by half in one year, from 10.1 percent in 2004 to 5.2 percent in 2005, a $9.5 billion reduction in improper payments, CMS Administrator Mark McClellan announced Thursday....
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Apria to Consolidate Billing, Distribution Centers
LAKE FOREST, Calif.--In January, Apria Healthcare Group plans to close its Sacramento billing office and lay off 75 people. At the same time, the giant national provider also will open a 100,000-sq. ft. distribution center in Woodland, Calif., that will employ 75, according to the Sacramento Business Journal. ...
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Inhalation Therapy Dispensing Fee to Drop in 2006
BALTIMORE--As many providers had feared, CMS announced last week that it will slash the monthly Medicare dispensing fee for Part B inhalation drug therapy next year--from $57 per monthly supply to $33. ...
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CMS Denies FAMES' Request for Emergency Oxygen Waiver
ORLANDO, Fla.--In the aftermath of Hurricane Wilma, CMS has denied a request by the Florida Association of Medical Equipment Services to allow HME companies to provide emergency oxygen to Medicare beneficiaries without a prescription. ...
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Walgreens To Acquire Home Pharmacy of California
DEERFIELD, Ill.--Walgreens Home Care announced last week that it will purchase Home Pharmacy of California. The nearly 20-year-old company, which operates pharmacies in Burbank, Corona and Ventura, provides home infusion, hospice and nutrition therapies, as well as specialty pharmacy services. The acquisition is expected to close later this year, pending regulatory approval....
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Power Mobility Rule Takes Effect, but Specter Asks for Do-Over
BALTIMORE--Despite efforts by HME industry groups, lawmakers and even a lawsuit to delay its implementation, CMS' new interim final rule for power mobility devices went into effect on Tuesday. But things could change with a last-minute amendment to the Senate's HHS spending bill, introduced Wednesday by Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.). ...
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Industry Hustles to Fight Capped Rental Provision in Senate Plan
WASHINGTON--While most savings outlined in the Senate Finance Committee's colossal Medicare/Medicaid spending package for 2006 are aimed at reducing subsidies for the pharmaceutical industry, one section would hit the HME industry where it hurts, discontinuing the capped rental option for equipment. ...
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HomeCare Announces 2005 HomeCaring Award Recipients
ATLANTA--HomeCare is pleased to announce three recipients of the 2005 HomeCaring Award, given in recognition of distinguished service to the home medical equipment industry: Rita Hostak, vice president of government relations for Longmont, Colo.-based Sunrise Medical; Michael Marnhout, president and CEO of Bluegrass Oxygen, Lexington, Ky.; and Randy Wolfe, president and CEO of Lambert's Health Care, Knoxville, Tenn....
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DMERCs Issue 'Bridge' LCD
ATLANTA--The DMERCs issued revised draft local coverage determinations for mobility devices on Tuesday, bringing current codes into step with CMS' national coverage determination issued in May....
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CMS Creates One-Stop Shop for Mobility Info
BALTIMORE--Along with its Oct. 14 announcement that new power mobility codes will be delayed, CMS has created a new resource for information related to power wheelchairs....
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