*Updated June 7, 2019 with link to presentation.

NASHVILLE (June 5, 2019)—Some 130 providers from around the country gathered Wednesday in Nashville, Tennessee, for the Bid Smart 2019 Summit, sponsored by the VGM Group, AAHomecare, the Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC), At Home Services and the Healthcare Nutrition Council. The interactive summit covered the details of Round 2021 and helped providers learn how to approach bidding fully informed.

WATERLOO, Iowa (June 4, 2019)–Patients and caregivers are seeing delays in receiving equipment and supplies, a ripple effect from Medicare policy, and increases in out-of-pocket expenses, according to an informal social media study conducted by People for Quality Care (PFQC), a division of VGM Group.
Respondents to the survey reported having to wait upwards of two weeks for equipment and supplies.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (June 3, 2019—Aeroflow Healthcare, a provider of durable medical equipment (DME), announced partnerships with PacificSource of Oregon and BCBS CareFirst. Partnering with these two insurance carriers expands Aeroflow’s presence and ability to serve new patients throughout the United States, providing durable medical equipment products and services to the individuals who need them most to maintain a high standard of life.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 31, 2019)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will be hosting two Special Open Door Forums (ODF) on June 4 and June 12, 2019.

Prior Authorization

On June 4, CMS will host an ODF from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm EDT on the implementation of prior authorization (PA) for pressure reducing support surfaces. This ODF is a follow-up from an announcement published in the Federal Register on April 22.