WASHINGTON (Oct. 24, 2013)—Only a few Medicare patients have reported problems related to the bidding program for home medical equipment that rolled out in 91 new areas on July 1, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Yet, more than 2,000 patients have called an organization, People for Quality Care, desperately seeking assistance for situations jeopardizing their health and quality of life.

According to CMS, it is still assessing the impact of the partial government shutdown on completion of the calendar year 2014 Medicare fee for service payment regulations. CMS intends to issue the final rules on or before November 27, 2013, generally to be effective on January 1, 2014. The impacted regulations include:

NEW YORK, N.Y. (Oct. 23, 2013)—The Medicare Rights Center is one of just five organizations across the country to receive a major national grant from the federal Administration for Community Living’s Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) program. Through the 18-month grant, Medicare Rights will expand its Medicare Minute program, recently evaluated by a Columbia University-based team, to help people with Medicare across the country understand their rights and combat Medicare fraud.

GAINSVILLE, Fla. (Oct. 21, 2013)—DMEevalumate.com has applied its functionality of correctly documenting medical justification for power mobility devices to develop the first online questionnaire for respiratory equipment. 

SUNRISE, Fla. (Oct. 23, 2013)—Just in time for Veteran’s Day, Interim HealthCare Inc. announced that its newest franchise agreement is with two retiring Air Force veterans in Salt Lake City. Michael Hawkins and Michael Eliason are the recipients of the waived franchise fee that Interim HealthCare announced earlier this year as a special incentive and support for military personnel.

MADISON, Wis. (Oct. 22, 2013)—Dr. JoAnne Robbins, PhD, CCC-SLP, BRS-S, professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and founder of Swallow Solutions, Inc., has been invited to serve as a member of the American Heart Association. The American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

TEANECK, N.J. (Oct. 21, 2013)—Apex Foot Health & Wellness, a division of Aetrex Worldwide Inc., announced the launch of the Apex T2000 to the Stretchables Collection—shoes that provide maximum protection and optimum comfort for individuals suffering from diabetes, arthritis or swollen feet. The new addition is designed to limit stress at the areas of the foot most susceptible to pain.

CMS recently announced that StrategicHealthSolutions has become a supplemental medical review/specialty contractor (SMRC) to “perform and/or provide support for a variety of tasks aimed at lowering the improper payment rates and increasing efficiencies of the medical review functions of the Medicare and Medicaid programs.”