WATERLOO, Iowa (June 27, 2017)—Last week Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) introduced a bill that would provide coverage for wigs to Medicare beneficiaries. The bill, HR 2925 would allow wigs to be covered as durable medical equipment; opening access for Medicare beneficiaries that a dermatologist, oncologist or attending physician can certify medical necessity as a part of rehabilitative treatment.
WATERLOO, Iowa (February 22, 2017)—Leitten Consulting released its latest findings on the economic impact Medicare spending has on health care as it relates to durable medical equipment.
Leitten’s study, “The Case for Medicare Investment in Durable Medical Equipment,” shows that the health care system and beneficiaries save on long-term costs if the government invests in durable medical equipment services up front.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 18, 2017)—CMS published guidance to the states on Friday, January 13, in an effort to give strategies to the state to ensure access to DMEPOS is available. This was issued due to comments from 2016 on CMS 1651-P and 2011 comments submitted in response to Federal Register Request for Comment on alignment under Medicaid and Medicare. While CMS cannot enforce these suggestions, we believe that they would benefit both states and providers.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 31, 2016)—CMS issued a final rule last week, covering end-stage renal care and changes to the DME competitive bidding program. Provisions of interest to the home medical equipment community include:
Bid Ceilings—Bid ceilings for future rounds will be based on the 2015 fee unadjusted fee schedule, instead of CMS's earlier proposal to establish bid ceilings at the current CBA pricing.
INDIANPOLIS (October 13, 2016)—Cryogenic Solutions, LLC, acquired Inventory Solutions, Inc. a national supplier of refurbished respiratory products to the home medical equipment (HME) industry.
CLEVELAND, Ohio (October 12, 2016)—Compass Health Brands announced the acquisition of the Professional Medical Imports Division (PMI) and the ProBasics brand from Invacare Corporation. ProBasics, a line of durable medical equipment (DME), has long been Invacare’s value brand for home medical equipment (HME) providers who are seeking quality DME products at a price that supports today’s reimbursement environment.
WATERLOO, Iowa (September 7, 2016)—VGM’s Government Relations team is spearheading a grassroots effort to recruit hospital executives to join the fight against Medicare’s most recent cut to reimbursements.
On July 1 DME providers incurred an additional 25 percent cut for Medicare reimbursements due to the Competitive Bidding Program. Many sectors across the health care industry are feeling the aftershock of difficulties stemming from the DME industry.
LENEXA, Kan. (August 31, 2016)—Mediware Information Systems, Inc., is hosting a free webinar for attendees on Tuesday, September 20 at 12 p.m. CST, 1 p.m. EST to discuss if providers should further pursue cash sales and stay competitive by becoming a non-participating Medicare provider.
MEDIA, Penn. (July 26, 2016)—Apacheta Corporation, a mobile business-solutions provider, today announced the company has nearly doubled its customer base and increased revenue by 75 percent since June 2015.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 7, 2016)—The American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) has commissioned Dobson DaVanzo & Associates, LLC to conduct a full study of suppliers’ fixed and variable costs for furnishing the services associated with supplying durable medical equipment. While limited cost study analyses have been performed in the past, this will be the first to consider DME in multiple categories that are under threat by competitive bidding pricing.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 6, 2016)—The Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC)—a coalition of the nation’s home oxygen therapy providers and manufacturing companies—commended Congressman Tom Price (R-GA), David Loebsack (D-IA), Cathy McMorris-Rogers (R-WA), Peter Welch (D-VT) and their colleagues in the United States House of Representatives, for passing the Patient Access to Durable Medical Equipment (PADME) Act (H.R.
LOS ANGELES (April 27, 2016)—Bflow Solutions, Inc. is hosting a webinar to help address shrinking reimbursements, the inability to participate freely in certain markets and manufacturer incursion into long-held business verticals once exclusive to local DME operations.
DAVISON, MICH (April 14, 2016)—IMCO Home Care and Universal Software Solutions, Inc. announced a partnership to offer Healthcare Data Management System (HDMS) to DME/HME providers. IMCO launched their Home Care initiative, a dedicated membership group serving Independent DME/HME dealers throughout the United States, to provide its members the best in homecare manufacturers at contracted prices.
On November 16, 2012 CMS issued a final rule titled “Medicare Program; Revisions to Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule, DME Face-to-Face Encounters, Elimination of the Requirement for Termination of Non-Random Prepayment Complex Medical Review and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2013”.
