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Archive: May 2006


News

Clearing up a CMN conundrum

May 31, 2006HME News Staff

Q. I thought that the manual chair CMN was eliminated along with the scooter and power wheelchair CMNs on Oct. 1, 2005, but I've heard otherwise. Please clarify. A. When the national coverage determination (NCD) became effective for dates of service on or after May 5, 2005, the CMNs for mobility assistive equipment (manual chairs, power operated vehicles and power wheelchairs) were essentially rendered useless for medical necessity, as they did not reflect the new coverage criteria. Even though the...

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Universal gives Web site a workout

May 31, 2006HME News Staff

TUSTIN, Calif. - Universal Medical, a California HME serving Orange County, revamped its Web site in March to reflect its new "healthy lifestyles" approach to providing HME, said Wendie Mayers, vice president of marketing. "With the baby boomers approaching 50, there's an incredible need to educate the community on how to better take care of themselves," she said. The Web site reflects that need by including information on health and fitness. The site, as well as Universal Medical's storefront in...

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Lawmakers seek fast payment for Rx

May 31, 2006HME News Staff

JACKSON, Miss. - Two Mississippi congressmen have introduced proposals aimed at speeding up the payment process under the new Medicare Part D drug program, according to an article in the Clarion-Ledger. First District Rep. Roger Wicker and Sen. Thad Cochran, both Republicans, each introduced legislation recently to demand payment of prescription claims within a two-week period. Currently, pharmacists are waiting from one to three months for payment from pharmacy benefit managers (PBM), creating cash...

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Real-time glucose monitor/pump OK'd

May 31, 2006HME News Staff

Fridley, Minn. - The FDA approved Medtronic's new integrated insulin pump with real-time glucose monitoring for diabetes patients, the company announced April 13. The MiniMed Paradigm Real-Time Insulin Pump and Continuous Glucose Monitoring System uses a tiny electrode sensor to measure glucose levels every five minutes.

News

Ditch the excuses

May 31, 2006HME News Staff

Despite all the turmoil that has gripped the industry this year, things could be worse. That's not to minimize competitive bidding and the other challenges that lie ahead. But if you attended recently, as I did, AAHomecare's Leadership Conference or the New York Medical Equipment Providers Association (NYMEP) annual meeting, you might be feeling a little bit better these days—not great, but a little better. Both events, to be sure, included plenty of depressing industry news. But they also...

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Store style: How to put your best foot forward

May 31, 2006HME News Staff

YARMOUTH, Maine - When it comes to improving store style, the prevailing philosophy among successful HMEs goes something like this: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That's what Jack Evans, a consultant often called upon by HMEs to design or make over locations, says he hears all the time. Enter national competitive bidding and other reimbursement changes, however, and HMEs are changing their tune. "They don't necessarily want their stores to look better," said Evans, president of Global Media Marketing...

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Telehealth: Vendors put out HME feelers

May 31, 2006HME News Staff

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Does telehealth represent a revolution in health care that HME providers should be positioning themselves for, or is it a pie-in-the-sky idea that falls short in terms of practical application, financial support and industry acceptance? AAHomecare recently hosted a teleconference to weigh those questions and more. The session featured a panel that included representatives from two telehealth manufacturers offering their views on how HME providers can capitalize on what is being...

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Ask the DMERC MDs

May 31, 2006HME News Staff

The DME PSC medical directors have received multiple requests for clarification on the July 1, 2005, LCD update for glucose monitors. Suppliers have specifically requested information on several points. Q. Please clarify the July 1, 2005, glucose monitors LCD revision eliminating the requirement that a supplier obtain a renewal order from the treating physician every 12 months for those Medicare beneficiaries whose utilization does not exceed the indications and limitations stated in the LCD. A....

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OIG: Doc proposals could run afoul of anti-kickback statutes

May 31, 2006HME News Staff

WASHINGTON - A DME provider looking to boost referrals by strengthening its relationships with physicians submitted two proposals to do just that to the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for review. In March, the OIG issued an advisory opinion that both plans could violate Medicare's anti-kickback statute. The first proposal would allow suppliers to sell DME and orthotics to physicians under a pre-arranged fee schedule. The OIG ruled such an arrangement was a "essentially a contractual joint venture...

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Providers downplay Medi-Cal biz

May 31, 2006HME News Staff

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The ongoing cuts and demanding paperwork requirements that make California a less-than-desirable payer have forced some larger providers to downplay their Medi-Cal (Medicaid) business in certain product categories, according to industry sources. "Take wound care supplies--there's (only) a 23% markup," said Bob Achermann, executive director of the California Association of Medical Products Suppliers (CAMPS). "As (Medi-Cal) increasingly eliminates the difference between what it...

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