Archive: July 2008
Home infusion
July 31, 2008HME News Staff
DEERFIELD, Ill.--Walgreens expanded its home infusion footprint in June when it acquired Louisville, Ky.-based Express Scripts' home infusion business for an undisclosed amount.
Walgreens' home infusion division, OptionCare, will pick up 12 locations in Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee. The pharmacies currently operate under Express Script's wholly-owned subsidiary CuraScript.
A recent Frost & Sullivan report puts the home infusion market at $4 billion to $6 billion annually...
RESNA outlines plan for single certification
July 31, 2008HME News Staff
ARLINGTON, Va.--RESNA's plan to consolidate its ATS and ATP certifications has spurred a litany of questions from concerned providers and therapists.Â
The biggest question, especially for therapists, is whether having “a single baseline certification” will dilute the certification. Right now, the ATS certification describes an individual, usually a provider, who sells and services equipment, while the ATP certification describes an individual, usually a PT or OT, who evaluates...
Industry diary
July 31, 2008Mike Moran
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AAHomecare recently put together a report for its board of directors that documents its activities from February 2008 through June 2008. AAHomecare's Michael Reinemer joked that the report "is not likely to be made into a major motion picture anytime soon," but it's worth reading for a few reasons.
Hellbinders movies The Man in the Iron Mask psp buy Gandhi The Beguiled the movie
First of all, it's a great synopsis of all the issues the industry has had to deal with, in the first six months of...
HME TV debuts
July 31, 2008HME News Staff
TITUSVILLE, Fla.--After listening to negative news about competitive bidding and other issues battering the HME industry, Ryan Ruskin decided he'd had enough. The result: HME TV.
“I said, what if we could create a new venue that allowed our industry a little relief and at the same time allowed dealers to share information, allowed them to express themselves in a medium that is a bit more effective,” said Ruskin, CEO of HME Providers, a member-service organization that includes about...
Permobil acquires stand-up company
July 31, 2008HME News Staff
LEBANON, Tenn.--Permobil is poised to take advantage of a growing market for standing wheelchairs with its June 2 acquisition of French company Lifestand.
Permobil, which currently offers standing/seating systems on its C400 and C500 power wheelchairs, will diversify its offerings by adding Lifestand's line of six wheelchairs, which include manual, semi-electric and electric models.
Both companies tout the health benefits and increased independence offered by these chairs, which shift from a seated...
Apria drops rehab
July 31, 2008HME News Staff
LAKE FOREST, Calif.--Less than two weeks after it agreed to be acquired by a private equity firm, Apria Healthcare sold its high-end rehab business to Earth City, Mo.-based United Seating & Mobility.
On June 19, Apria announced that it had negotiated a $1.6 billion buyout offer from an affiliate of The Blackstone Group. On June 30, it completed the sale of its high-end rehab business to United Seating & Mobility, a rehab provider with 25 locations in 10 states, mostly in the Midwest.
The sale will...
German gas giant woos ResMed
July 31, 2008HME News Staff
POWAY, Calif.--Newspapers in ResMed's native Sydney, Australia, reported in early July that German industrial and medical gases giant Linde Group is courting the manufacturer. ResMed released the following statement in response to reports in The Age, Sydney Morning Herald and Australian Financial Review newspapers: “The company confirms that it is not aware of any information that would require disclosure to the ASX (Australian Securities Exchange) in terms of listing rule 3.1. Further, the...
ATS, ATP consolidation
July 31, 2008HME News Staff
LITTLETON, Colo.--Providers wonder how RESNA's plan to consolidate its ATS and ATP certification will affect CRTSs. A CRTS is a NRRTS registrant in good standing for two years who has passed the ATS exam.
NRRTS is lobbying RESNA to release its new certification and a new specialty certification in wheeled seating and mobility at the same time. That way, NRRTS could require the specialty certification for CRTSs.
“Otherwise, the CRTS lacks a true handle,” said Simon Margolis, executive...
Repercussions of competitive bidding delay
July 31, 2008HME News Staff
WASHINGTON--An expected 9.5% reimbursement cut associated with delaying national competitive bidding will most likely create access issues for Medicare beneficiaries, say providers of standard and complex power wheelchairs.
Mainly, the Jan. 1, 2009, cut would force them to whittle down, once again, the different types of wheelchairs they provide.
“I used to be able to go in and offer 20 different chairs and then narrow them down based on a patient's lifestyle,” said Jody Wright, president...
Short takes
July 31, 2008HME News Staff
The Sleep Wellness Institute opened a retail store, CPAP2Go, in Franklin, Wis., in July. The store will specialize in CPAP and supplies…Tom Jones Drug received accreditation from ACHC, the company announced in June. The Garner, N.C.-based pharmacy offers compounding and nutritionals along with HME.