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Archive: January 2009


News

Brightree buys biller

January 31, 2009HME News Staff

DULUTH, Ga.--Brightree in December made good on promises that it would use “a significant investment” from a private equity firm to make acquisitions. The software vendor announced Dec. 18 that it had acquired C&S Billing Center, an Antioch, Ill.-based billing service with about 40 employees. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. “We're on track for more acquisitions, but this was a deal that was opportune for us to pull off in a short space of time, so we brought them onboard,”...

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What's your 'fraud potential'?

January 31, 2009HME News Staff

BALTIMORE--The National Supplier Clearinghouse Medicare Administrative Contractor (NSC MAC) will perform “a fraud potential analysis” of all DME applicants and current providers, CMS announced in a Dec. 31 transmittal. The NSC will use four fraud level indicators: low risk, limited risk, medium risk and high risk. In assessing a provider's fraud level, the NSC MAC will consider things like prior Medicare experience, geographic area, site visit results, inventory observed and contracted,...

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Recruiting

January 31, 2009HME News Staff

Q. How do we retain new employees? A. It's simple: teamwork. But before we get to that, let's talk about why it's so important to retain new employees. Just examine the cost of someone quitting. As an example, let's use a medical biller who gets paid $12 per hour. If that person quits after only four months, you've paid $8,320 in base salary. Add to that these costs: finding the person in the first place (about $750 for newspaper and online ads); your time preparing, qualifying and interviewing the...

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Invacare hits 'big milestone'

January 31, 2009HME News Staff

ELYRIA, Ohio--The 150,000th Invacare HomeFill was delivered to a patient in February, a sign that non-delivery oxygen systems have come a long way, company officials say. “It's a big milestone,” said Joe Lewarski, vice president and general manager, Invacare Respiratory. “I think more and more providers, as payment and cost pressures grow, will have to change their models (to non-delivery). That's the direction we're headed in.” Invacare introduced the HomeFill, a system that...

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Regional players hold on while others 'jump ship'

January 31, 2009HME News Staff

The future will bring more consolidation in the complex rehab market with regional providers broadening their service areas and smaller providers struggling to keep up, sources say. “People working for small companies are going to read the writing on the wall and given the opportunity from the regionals, they'll jump ship before it sinks,” said Simon Margolis, executive director of NRRTS and former vice president of clinical professional development for National Seating and Mobility....

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R&D firm launches 'CPAP for iPod world'

January 31, 2009HME News Staff

HOUSTON--Metis Laboratories, a five-year-old research and development company, has launched PapWear, a CPAP device. The patent-pending device, which weighs 9 to 13 ounces, is housed in a patient's choice of T-shirt, nightshirt or pajama top. “PapWear is CPAP for an iPod world,” stated Don Harrison, lead researcher, in a release. “The current state of the industry is still about making boom boxes.”

News

Congressman urges consumer action

January 31, 2009HME News Staff

WEST SENECA, N.Y.--Provider Jim Travis invited Congressman Brian Higgins, D-N.Y., to view his operation in December. Travis and Higgins toured the main office and participated in a conference call about the 36-month oxygen cap and the 9.5% nationwide reimbursement cut with other industry stakeholders. Congress will not take action unless beneficiaries get involved, Higgins said, according to a release.

News

Internet leads: Use them, but be careful

January 31, 2009HME News Staff

The HME industry is going through a transformation - a paradigm shift. CMS is paying less for products, expecting more from suppliers and shoving financial responsibility back on the shoulders of customers.  As a result, suppliers need to cut costs, embrace technology and compete on the basis of price and services. The purchase of Internet leads is a cost-effective way to market. Here is how it works: An Internet lead company owns a number of Web sites that cater to specific medical needs. A...

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Event fuses education, networking

January 31, 2009HME News Staff

ALEXANDRIA, Va.--With fierce competition among trade shows, the National Home Infusion Association (NHIA) designed its 2009 Annual Conference and Expo to include a little something for everyone. The event, scheduled March 1-5 in Baltimore, has four educational tracks: clinical; leadership and management; reimbursement; and sales and marketing. It also offers CEUs for clinicians. “If providers can only choose one conference this year, we want it to be us,” said Nancy Kramer, vice president...

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Event boasts 25 years

January 31, 2009HME News Staff

ORLANDO, Fla.--This March, the International Seating Symposium (ISS) will celebrate 25 years of putting seating and wheeled mobility front and center. This year, the show offers new speakers and content such as a one-day course on wheelchair fundamentals. HME News recently spoke with Mark Schmeler, continuing education course director at the University of Pittsburgh, a sponsor of ISS, which takes place March 12-14 in Orlando. HME News: How will the ISS commemorate its 25th anniversary? Mark Schmeler:...

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