Alexandria, Va.
The American Association for Homecare reiterated its opinion that there should be “zero tolerance” for Medicare fraud and abuse involving power wheelchairs, in response to a Nov. 12 Associated Press news article that detailed 50 separate power wheelchair fraud investigations launched as part of the government crackdown known as “Operation Wheeler Dealer.”
The AP article noted that the durable medical equipment industry aggressively markets power wheelchairs, adding that the number of Medicare power wheelchair claims rose from about 55,000 in 1999 to almost 170,000 this year. In response, AAHomecare said it views the increase in claims as a positive development.
“As wheelchair technology has improved and the beneficiary population has aged, this increase is a clear sign that more and more Americans are utilizing wheelchairs and scooters to live independent lives in their homes and communities,” said AAHomecare President and CEO Kay Cox. “A few isolated incidents involving wrongdoing does not change the fact that power wheelchairs are dramatically improving the lives of Medicare patients every single day.”
Cox restated that AAHomecare recommends the use of medical necessity documentation and the implementation of coding and coverage policies as tools to combat Medicare fraud and abuse.
As part of Operation Wheeler Dealer, CMS enacted an NSC supplier number moratorium, which was eased last month when the agency permitted the NSC to submit certain supplier-number applications for approval. The agency also is developing an expedited supplier-number process for certain situations, such as renewals and acquisitions by providers with existing locations, said Penelope Solis, AAHomecare's manager of regulatory affairs. But, she cautioned, providers new to the Medicare and Medicaid system “will be subject to heightened security, so it's highly unlikely they'll flow quickly through the process.”
For breaking news, go to www.homecaremonday.com, the electronic news service of the home medical equipment industry.
