Archive: October 2008

I'm writing in response to the “In-house repairs, are we all alone?” letter to the editor in the September issue. Over the last 20 years I have been a repair technician in several industries, including the durable medical equipment and the semiconductor industries. Currently I'm the owner of a medical equipment repair center. I worked as an equipment technician for a DME dealer in the 80s and 90s. I would have to agree with the previous writer that back 15 to 20 years ago it was very...

FARGO, N.D.--Noridian Administrative Services recently reminded providers of the payment criteria for wheelchair headrests. Wheelchair options and accessories have had a high comprehensive error rate testing (CERT) rate. Noridian also issued corrections to the local coverage determination (LCD) for wheelchair bases. The latest version of the LCD omitted four lines describing the criteria needed for coverage for K0003 and K0004 wheelchair bases. For more information, visit www.noridianmedicare.com.

Hurricane Ike knocked out one wall of the American Association of Breast Care Professionals' offices in Houston. No one was hurt and the association was back up and running by Sept. 23…Shield Healthcare moved its headquarters into a 100,000-square-foot facility. The move combines two of the Valencia, Calif.-based company's corporate buildings into one central location.

Who knew the HME and financial industries had so much in common? Sure, at first glance, they appear quite different. One is built on the backs of thousands of small businesses; the other is controlled by a powerful few. One revolves around caring for the elderly and disabled; the other exists to generate steep profits. But in October, as Congress debated whether to approve a $700 billion bailout bill for the financial industry, I couldn't help but wonder: How did we get here? Not whether the bailout...

WASHINGTON--Industry stakeholders are laying the groundwork to launch an organized and aggressive campaign to fight HME fraud and abuse in 2009. In September, AAHomecare began interviewing public relations firms and putting together legislative proposals. “The fraud and abuse issue is like an albatross around the HME industry's neck,” said Walt Gorski, AAHomecare's vice president of government affairs. “Any positive message that comes from a patient receiving home care is quickly...

The recent financial crisis in our country started me thinking about our industry and the implications of macro-economics. The people we serve need homecare equipment to go on with their lives. This service/product lifeline is not optional to them personally, and the money it saves for the healthcare system is critical. The need for quality home care is of particular concern in light of the ongoing (no, it is not over) fight over so-called competitive bidding. This evil program was stalled by a...

POWAY, Calif.--With high gas prices making home visits more and more costly, ResMed has taken steps to enhance its wireless CPAP compliance monitoring system to make it even easier for providers to collect data from their offices. “We offer a spectrum of options-everything from direct downloads to removable media cards to wireless systems-and different providers are looking for different things,” said Mick Farrell, senior vice president of the sleep strategic business unit at ResMed....

ORANGE PARK, Fla.--With the recent opening of her wheelchair clinic, Cindi Petito now has patients knocking at her door. Since 2001, Petito, an occupational therapist (OT) and assistive technology practitioner (ATP), has run a home-based occupational therapy practice, Seating Solutions. This summer, she opened a wheelchair clinic. “By having the patient come to me, I can do trials with them in different seating systems with different power chairs and different electronics,” said Petito. Patients...

Last year my aunt died from pulmonary fibrosis. Recently, my mother was diagnosed with the disease. While one can lament such happenings, one cannot prevent them, and therefore I must try to make a deadly disease tolerable for my mother. Given the fact that she was immediately prescribed oxygen, I knew full well that a reputable accredited oxygen provider would bring her oxygen and alleviate her shortness of breath. I was wrong. Unfortunately my mother is in an HMO that uses the lowest bidder to...

NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas--Alliance Seating and Mobility, a division of The Scooter Store, has no plans to slow down its expansion into complex power wheelchairs, even though the product category has been carved out of national competitive bidding. In fact, it's doing the exact opposite. “We're moving faster than ever,” said Doug Harrison, The Scooter Store's CEO, in August. “While competitive bidding was one of the factors driving us into the market, it wasn't the driving factor.” The...