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Archive: August 2003


News

CB: The lesser of two evils?

August 31, 2003HME News Staff

HME News staff WASHINGTON - If she had to choose between competitive bidding and a CPI freeze, Tyrrell Hunter thinks she might choose the former. Why? If competitive bidding were to pass congressional muster, CMS would have a hard time including custom rehab in the project due to its technical nature, said Hunter, president of Majors Mobility in Topsham, Maine. If rehab were to be left out, competitive bidding might wreak havoc on other providers, but it wouldn't affect rehab providers. A CPI freeze,...

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‘Our prospects are good,’ says PSA CEO Sansone

August 31, 2003HME News Staff

NORCROSS, Ga. - Pediatric Services of America (PSA) has had a busy couple of months. In July, the company opened HME branch offices in San Antonio, Texas, and Chesapeake, Va., to better serve and support its existing pediatric nursing operations. Also in July, PSA eliminated some of its debt when it bought back $1 million of its 10% senior subordinated notes that were due in 2008. (Since Sept. 30, 2001, the company has bought back $11 million of the notes.) In May, PSA, which is slated to generate...

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Deal puts Invacare message on truck fleet

August 31, 2003HME News Staff

Elyria, Ohio- Invacare's new shipping contract with All Pro Freight System could translate into increased sales and new customers for Invacare suppliers. As part of a 5-year deal signed with the trucking company, Invacare received 20 free advertisements, which will appear on the sides of All Pro trucks. " The real intent behind this is to increase awareness for the Invacare brand and the products we manufacture," Susan Elder, Invacare's director of marketing communications, said. The ads will...

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Politics

August 31, 2003HME News Staff

More than just NCB With Kay Cox Q. In the current Medicare debate, the DME industry has been focused on the bill's competitive bidding provision, and rightly so. But, have there been any developments on other provisions that affect our profession, such as regulatory reform? A. Although the final reconciled version of the Medicare bill known as the ‘conference report' is not expected until late September, at the earliest, the H.R.1/S.1 conferees have come to agreement on some portions of the Medicare...

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CBO: Medicare reform plans come up short

August 31, 2003HME News Staff

WASHINGTON - The House and Senate Medicare reform bills (HR 1 and S 1) both would surpass the $400 billion limit over 10 years set by President Bush and approved by Congress in the fiscal year 2004 budget, according to estimates released by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) in July. Additionally, the proportion of Medicare beneficiaries expected to enroll in private health plans will be lower in 10 years than it is today, despite efforts in both the House and Senate Medicare reform bills to...

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Non-profit doesn’t mean no profit

August 31, 2003HME News Staff

NORTH PORT, Fla. - Bon Secours Personal Care Services may be part of a large non-profit hospital system, but that doesn't mean the new HME can afford to lose money, said Director Sandy Kaskey. “We definitely have to make money,” Kaskey said. “That's what makes the world go ‘round. I've still got to have my salary paid.” Since opening its doors April 7 in North Port, a community that lacked a local HME, Bon Secours has attracted about 100 rental patients, 20% of those respiratory...

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Show floor theme: ‘All together now’

August 31, 2003HME News Staff

ATLANTA - By including all of its main attractions on a single floor, Medtrade organizers believe this year's layout will make attendees' lives easier. And while it won't give complete relief to the foot-weary, consolidating all exhibits together means show-goers no longer have to navigate a convoluted corridor maze to move between concourses. Everything is located in Concourse B of the Georgia World Congress Center. “This doesn't mean the show has shrunk,” said Denise McClinton, communications...

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RAD reimbursement comes under attack

August 31, 2003HME News Staff

WASHINGTON - The HME industry has begun pulling together clinical evidence to show that non-invasive ventilation with back-up should remain in the frequent-and-substantial reimbursement category and not become a capped rental item as CMS seems intent on making it. Ever since CMS raised the threshold for who qualifies for respiratory-assist devices (RAD) in the K0533 code several years ago, the therapy has become more or less a niche market for patients with degenerative neuromuscular diseases, patients...

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Providers review marketing dos, don’ts

August 31, 2003HME News Staff

BATON ROUGE, La. - A recent article in a Baton Rouge, Louis., newspaper about a questionable rehab provider dubbed “Scooter Man” has the industry brushing up on the dos and don'ts of marketing scooters. Several members of the National Registry of Rehabilitation Technology Suppliers (NRRTS) have posted messages on the organization's online message board recently, discussing the man's reported violations of supplier standards. The article, which appeared in The Advocate on July 21, detailed...

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SEC looks at Liberty’s accounting

August 31, 2003HME News Staff

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - In early July, PolyMedica, which owns Liberty Medical Supply, watched its stock plunge 18% following news that: the SEC had begun looking into a questionable accounting practice; and lawyers for shareholders announced a class-action lawsuit, accusing the company of improperly inflating its bottom line by classifying advertising expenses as assets. The stock's downturn came just three weeks after hitting a 52-week high. The high followed a report by the CDC, stating that more...

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