Archive: May 2007
Wheelchair athletes cross finish line
May 31, 2007HME News Staff
BOSTON - Four American men were among the first 10 wheelchair athletes to cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon April 16. Adam Bleakney, 31, Savoy, Ill., led the pack, finishing in 1:45:51. He was followed by Tyler Byers, 24, Sterling, Va. (1:50:34); Patrick Doak, 39, Concord, Mass. (1:55:58); and Joshua George, 23, Champaign, Ill. (2:02:58). Three American women were among the first eight wheelchair athletes to cross the finish line: Shirley Reilly, 21, Tucson, Ariz. (2:14:49); April Coughlin,...
Scooter Store helps to honor vets
May 31, 2007HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - The Scooter Store participated in a new program called "Honor Flight" by donating dozens of power wheelchairs and scooters to help disabled veterans visit the WWII Memorial on April 21. Employees of The Scooter Store also volunteered their time to attend the event and help veterans. "Many of these senior heroes break down and cry when they are offered an opportunity to see their memorial," said Earl Morse, a physician assistant and retired U.S. Air Force captain who conceived the program....
Never overlook its costs
May 31, 2007HME News Staff
When a company examines its fixed costs, expenses like payroll, rent and utilities naturally take center stage. Employee turnover, however, is often overlooked but should not be for a very simple reason: It can cost your company thousands of dollars a year. To see how, let's take it step by step. First, here are the direct costs a company incurs due to employee turnover:
* Candidate interviews
* Candidate screening and reference checking
* Employment advertising
* IT/security costs
* New hire processing,...
HHS secretary pushes Medicare diabetes screening
May 31, 2007HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt began a multistate campaign April 20 to encourage Medicare beneficiaries to use preventive care, including screening for diabetes. Leavitt planned to visit Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine and Connecticut during the first week of the campaign. Most screenings require beneficiaries to pay 20% of the cost. Leavitt said that U.S. residents spend about $3.8 billion for diabetes-related hospitalizations, about two-thirds of which could be avoided with appropriate...
NPI deadline draws near
May 31, 2007HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - Medicare hasn't decided when it will begin rejecting claims without a primary National Provider Identification (NPI) number, but officials at a May 10 roundtable warned it could be July 1. That goes for electronic, paper, direct data system and CMS free billing software claims.
Medicare will also begin rejecting CMS form 1500-1290 on or after July 1. The form allows reporting of NPI and legacy identifiers together. Additionally, CMS officials reminded callers that if they do not have...
CMS sets deadline for accreditation
May 31, 2007HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - CMS dropped a bomb April 17 when it announced that providers who plan to participate in national competitive bidding this year must be accredited by Aug. 31. Many providers assumed they would have until December--when the first contracts are awarded--to complete the process.
"The floodgates have definitely opened," said Sandra Canally, president of The Compliance Team. "Now it's a matter of signing them up and getting them through the process."
The accreditation process can take six...
Sunrise reinvents itself
May 31, 2007HME News Staff
LONGMONT, Colo. - In a major corporate reorganization, Sunrise Medical has sliced itself down the middle, creating two independent organizations, one focusing on mobility and the other on respiratory products, the manufacturer announced May 10.
"This is saying we have faith in the respiratory industry, we have faith in the mobility industry," said Sunrise CEO Mike Hammes. "We want to have a dedicated focus for two separately focused businesses to take full advantage of what we think is a good medium-...
Carve out: Industry courts consumers
May 31, 2007HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - Industry stakeholders know they need the help of consumers to carve out complex rehab from national competitive bidding, but that could be easier said than done.
"It's our biggest barrier," said Don Clayback, who heads up The MED Group's National Rehab Network. "We need to deliver a message that holds some personal consequences for (disability organizations and consumers), so they don't think it's just an industry or business issue."
Therein lies the rub, according to industry stakeholders....
It's time to do your bidding homework
May 31, 2007HME News Staff
On April 2, 2007, one among many "key dates" the industry won't soon forget, CMS Acting Administrator Leslie Norwalk announced: "The final rule we are announcing today is focused on improving both service delivery and the quality of care, while getting savings for beneficiaries and taxpayers." Other dates include: Dec. 8, 2003, the MMA enactment, complete with its Section 302; and March 15, 1999, which marked the onset of the first "demonstration project" in Polk County, Fla.
If, for some reason,...
Invacare and VGM join forces
May 31, 2007HME News Staff
LAS VEGAS - The on-again off-again relationship that's marked VGM and Invacare over the years is on again, and this time in a very big way.
The two industry titans--the largest HME manufacturer (Invacare) and largest provider service organization (VGM)--joined forces in late April to help providers and themselves maneuver through national competitive bidding.
The companies announced the new relationship April 25 at Medtrade Spring in Las Vegas.
"We are in a fight for our lives, and we intend to fight...