Accreditation Calculation
Could you tell me what kind and by what entity Medicare will require accreditation of DME companies? By what date?
— Michael Hardison, president, All-Med Home Care Inc., Poteau, Okla.
Neither has yet been determined. In the meantime, HomeCare has published two recent articles on the subject that explain the how's and what's of getting started in the accreditation process, along with contact information for several of the accrediting bodies now working in the HME area. Look for “Mandatory Accreditation” by Jerold S. Cohen (February 2004) and “Getting Accredited and Doing It Now” by Tom Cesar (March 2004). You can access our magazine archives online at www.homecaremag.com.
Not Again, Please
I read with interest the story on the Power-Ox solution for qualification of Medicare oxygen patients that appeared in Homecare Monday (May 17, 2004).
In the article, Mickey Letson says that this testing solution could make possible quarterly re-testing of oxygen patients. This sets off all sorts of alarms. There are many reasons why regular re-testing of oxygen patients is unnecessary beyond access to IDTF's. These include the fact that the patients are in the chronic stable state and are not likely to improve, that oxygen has restorative properties over time, and that there already exists a provision for re-qualification for short-term oxygen diagnoses. What's more, IDTF and physician reimbursement for pulse oximetry is less than the cost of performing and/or interpreting the tests, and home care providers are prohibited from paying IDTFs for their services.
The respiratory physician and home care industries have already made the point that unnecessary testing of chronic oxygen dependent patients is a waste of time and resources for all concerned. It is not necessary to revisit this issue.
— Bob Fary, vice president of sales, Inogen Inc., Goleta, Calif.
Read more about the possible effects of home oxygen testing in “Billing & Reimbursement” by Jane Bunch on page 51.
No, No, A Thousand Times No
[Regarding the FEHBP-based reimbursement cuts outlined in HomeCare Monday, June 7, 2004] … No!!! That's all I have to say!
— Earle Gregory, operations manager, Canyonlands Medical, St. George, Utah
E-mail your letters to Editor-in-Chief Gail Walker at gwalker@primediabusiness.com
