AAHomecare Meets with GAO
Meeting and follow-up letter highlighted patient access in non-competitive bid areas.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 2, 2017)—AAHomecare’s Kim Brummett and Mina Uehara recently participated in a Government Accounting Office (GAO) interview regarding patient access in non-competitive bid areas and followed up with a letter to the Agency summarizing key points from the session. In discussing the effects on patient access since the 2016 cuts, AAHomecare notes:

Front Porch Receives Grant for Hearable Devices
The grant helps further testing for personal sound amplification products for seniors.

GLENDALE, Calif. (August 2, 2017)—Front Porch Center for Innovation and Wellbeing (FPCIW), part of Front Porch, a not-for-profit organization that serves individuals and families through full-service retirement, active adult communities and affordable housing communities, announced today it was chosen as a grant recipient by The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) Foundation for its “Hearables for All” project.

CMS Finalizes Updates to Medicare Hospice Benefit and Hospice Quality Reporting Requirements
Payment rates and wage index were included in the final rule.

—Via CMS, WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 1, 2017)—On August 1, 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule (CMS-1675-F) that updates fiscal year (FY) 2018 Medicare payment rates and the wage index for hospices serving Medicare beneficiaries, and also updates the hospice quality reporting requirements.

Health Complex Medical Rebrands

Waterbury, Conn. (August 1, 2017)—Health Complex Medical, one of the leading respiratory care service providers in Connecticut, has launched a new brand position aimed at showcasing its expanded solutions for sleep therapy.

Collaborative sessions with its employees, discussions with physicians and patients and analysis of competitive positioning helped crystalize the branding—which includes a new logo, tagline, collateral system and outreach materials.