Archive: May 2009

Rehab providers knew it was only a matter of time before other payers picked up on Medicare's 9.5% reimbursement cut for standard and complex power wheelchairs. In recent months they have reported that some private payers and Medicaid programs, including the New York Department of Health on April 1, had implemented the cut. “We're very discouraged,” said Bill Tobia, owner of Home Medical Equipment in Garden City, N.Y. “When they didn't do it in January, we didn't think they were...

DEERFIELD, Ill.--Walgreens-OptionCare picked up the home infusion business of Air Products Healthcare for an undisclosed sum, the company announced May 5. The transaction includes 15 locations and 25,000 patients. “To find a business of this scale, with this much infusion - it's a great deal for Walgreens-OptionCare,” said Michael Patton, a managing director with Boston-based Provident Healthcare Partners, a mergers and acquisitions firm. Air Products announced in July 2008 that it was...

WASHINGTON--When rehab providers hit Capitol Hill in April, they had a position paper in hand that explains why complex wheelchairs should be a separate benefit from DMEPOS. “We'll be taking the temperature,” said Gary Gilberti, president of NCART and president of Chesapeake Rehab Equipment in Camp Hill, Pa. “We know this is a major lift, but we hope to get some champions, so we can move this forward.” Rehab providers were in Washington, D.C, as part of the Continuing Education...

Despite their flexible application, lean techniques are sometimes overlooked for office operations. This may be because there is no tangible or visible product involved in office operations. The main “product” in an office setting is information. Waste in an office setting is difficult to see - it does not litter the floor like wasted material in a warehouse. Yet a typical HME front-end operation is rife with waste and workflow problems. Common forms of waste in an HME office include...

LONGMONT, Colo.--Sunrise Medical has decided it's no longer worth the trouble to compete in Group 2 power wheelchairs. “We have voluntarily chosen to exit Group 2, mostly because we didn't feel we were adding value to what has become a price-point only product,” said Julie Jacono, vice president of power mobility. With its move away from Group 2 - and the recent sale of its Guardian line of bath safety and walking aids to Medline - Sunrise will now refocus resources on Group 3 power wheelchairs,...

MARTINEZ, Ga. - Independent HMEs consider competitive bidding a more pressing issue than repealing the 36-month oxygen cap, according to a new survey by the Committee to Save Independent HME Suppliers (CSI: HME). The newly formed organization will use the survey results to prioritize their advocacy efforts on behalf of independent providers, said David Petsch, CSI:HME's managing director. Of the 242 people who responded to the poll, 111 listed repealing national competitive bidding as most important;...

WASHINGTON - Home medical equipment providers will be able to register for national competitive bidding this summer and submit bids this fall, CMS announced in a press release last week. Members of the Program Advisory and Oversight Committee (PAOC) will meet with CMS officials June 4 to discuss the timeline for competitive bidding and other issues. "We're developing a specific line of questions," said Walt Gorski, a PAOC member and AAHomecare's vice president of government affairs. "We don't want...

HOUSTON--Some women's health providers have another option when it comes to obtaining surety bonds. In April, the American Association of Breast Care Professionals (AABCP) began offering the bonds to its members. “We found most of the bonds that were being offered didn't take the unique qualities of a mastectomy boutique into consideration,” said Rhonda Turner, president. “They do have to be certified and accredited but they really are very small in some cases. A lot of the financial...

PINELLAS PARK, Fla.--It may not be faster than a speeding bullet, but Invacare's new Top End Force R Handcycle looks like it could give Superman a run for his money. While this latest addition to Invacare's handcycle fleet is built for speed and comfort, it's not just for paralympians. Wheelchair users of all ages - intent on staying as fit as possible - have begun pumping up demand big time for all variety of handcycles, said Mary Carol Peterson, marketing and customer service manager for Invacare...

An editorial titled “Hits and misses” in the May 2009 issue of HME News may have inadvertently tied a negative connotation to the recruiting industry. It discussed Alliance Seating & Mobility using a headhunting agency to recruit assistive technology professionals (ATPs) to build up its complex rehab division. It states: “Let's face it: There's nothing illegal - or even wrong, really - about recruiting.” The word “really” in this sentence could lead a reader to...