MUNDELEIN, Ill. (March 3, 2014)—Medline Industries, Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of medical and surgical supplies, will open a new state-of-the-art distribution center in Lincoln County, N.C., in early 2015, the company announced.

LAS VEGAS (March 3, 2014)—Judges named the winners of the Innovative HME Retail Product Awards last week. The biannual awards, sponsored by HomeCare magazine, honor HME products that are particularly suited for retail sale. “There were some really impressive and innovative entries this year,” said Jim Greatorex, owner, Black Bear Medical, Portland, Maine, and a member of the judging panel. “We had lots of discussion about each entry. To pick the top six, we really had to get nitpicky.

WASHINGTON (March 5, 2014)—President Obama released his 2015 budget this week and, as expected, provisions targeting DME were included. Two of the prominent provisions suggest using Medicare bid rates for Medicaid reimbursement to save money, and implementing prior authorization as a means of fighting fraud. AAHomecare has strongly opposed the Medicaid proposal for a number of years and has successfully kept it from going into effect.

(Feb. 27, 2014)—According to modernhealthcare.com, providers, payers and claims clearinghouses can look for no relief from the looming, Oct. 1 compliance deadline for the nationwide conversion to the ICD-10 family of diagnostic and procedural codes, the head of the CMS said Thursday, Feb. 27. But some case-by-case exemptions will be made for providers having a tough time meeting their Stage 2 meaningful-use targets, she said.

BALTIMORE, Md. (Feb. 24, 2014)—According to a CMS Fact Sheet released on Feb. 24, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it will seek public comment as it moves toward nationwide implementation of the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program.

WASHINGTON (Feb. 26, 2014)—Because of the contract cycle, Feb. 21 was the last day a recovery auditor contractor (RAC) could send a post-payment additional documentation request (ADR) to providers. However, CMS has extended the current contracts through Dec.

LAS VEGAS (Feb. 24, 2014)—Above all, exhibitors and providers view Medtrade Spring as an opportunity to discover solutions. However, if you don’t attend, you’ll never know. “It’s our job to fashion the best possible show that we can,” says Kevin Gaffney, group show director, Medtrade. “But we can’t help if you’re not here.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Feb. 24, 2014)—Jaysec Technologies, LLC., announced Gibran Ameer as chief operating officer. Jaysec has experienced tremendous growth over the last two years mainly due to the regulatory and reimbursement pressures in home care. Gibran will be responsible for overseeing the overall operations ensuring continued value and efficiencies for a rapidly evolving market. Gibran comes to Jaysec from Medical Services of America where he was a member of the executive team.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (Feb. 27, 2014)—O2 Concepts, LLC announced Rob Kent has been appointed to serve in the newly created position of president and chief operating officer. Kent has served in various capacities within O2 Concepts for more than a year and most recently served as the manager of its testing, compliance and assurance operations.