Archive: April 2021

WASHINGTON – CMS has informed all Medicare providers who requested and received COVID-19 accelerated and advance payments during the public health emergency that it will begin recovering those payments as early as March 30.  The exact timing depends on the one-year anniversary of when a provider received their first payment.  “Please be sure your billing staff are aware that the recovery has begun, or will begin soon, but no sooner than one year from the date CMS issued...

YARMOUTH, Maine – Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) should be given extra care and monitoring to minimize exposure to COVID-19, according to an analysis published in Sleep Medicine. Physicians can use telemedicine-based practice to provide care and evaluations for OSA patients to minimize their visits to hospitals. Physicians and caregivers should also be engaged in close monitoring of OSA patients with suspected COVID-19 for early diagnosis and treatment to avoid severe...

PHOENIX – Medtrade West will feature “Welcome to Phoenix Night” on July 13 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., giving attendees a chance to preview the Expo floor. Multiple bars will be set up for the event, including one sponsored by AAHomecare. “I envision attendees getting a glass of beer or wine and taking a preliminary lap around the floor,” said York Schwab, associate show director, Medtrade. “The Preview Night is a great time to prioritize,...

CHARLOTTE and MCHENRY, Ill. – Joerns Healthcare has announced it will distribute Medela’s negative pressure wound therapy product line on a national basis to the skilled nursing and long-term acute care hospital setting. Through the agreement, Joerns will expand its wound care portfolio to include the full Medela line of negative pressure wound therapy products, including the Invia Liberty and Invia Motion 60 NPWT Systems. “Joerns is excited...

YARMOUTH, Maine – An increase in oxygen reimbursement is a shot in the arm for the HME industry, say providers. CMS in March released an updated fee schedule for oxygen that will result in an increase in fee schedule amounts ranging from $6.72 to $8.19 in former competitive bidding areas; $5.17 to $5.43 in other non-rural areas; and $4.14 to $6.82 in non-contiguous and rural areas, according to the VGM Group. “This is a big thing for our industry, and it needs to be celebrated,”...

ATLANTA – Itamar Medical’s Joao Mendes-Roter believes there’s a “digital revolution” happening in the home right now that will increase the percentage of sleep tests being conducted there in the long term. The percentage of sleep tests conducted in homes vs. in labs has flip flopped from 30%/70% before the pandemic to 70%/30% during the pandemic, says Mendes-Roter, vice president of digital health marketing for Itamar, which makes the WatchPAT ONE home sleep test. “We...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – National Seating & Mobility is activating several initiatives to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion at the company, including appointing more women and minorities in senior leadership positions, says CEO Bill Mixon. The company is also conducting sensitivity training and involving employee resource groups in ongoing plans to enhance DE&I, he says. “The most critical of our four business pillars (people, growth, operational excellence and culture) is culture,”...

JOHNSTON, R.I. – Psst, have you heard of Clubhouse, the new invite-only, live audio social media app that has attracted A-listers like Bill Gates and Barack Obama? Dana Lesperance has and he wants his fellow HME providers to hop onboard the app, which allows users to search for different forums or “rooms” that host live discussions on a wide range of topics. “There’s this mystique or aura around it because of the invite-only nature of it,” says Lesperance, director...

DARIEN, Ill. – Sleep medicine has proven to be a specialty that can offer complete and quality care remotely, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine says in a recently published position paper. While the technology to remotely connect doctor and patient has been in place for years, its use was limited until the pandemic, when CMS lifted restrictions on telehealth reimbursement and private companies followed suit. “Delivering care during the pandemic has proven to providers and insurers...

ROSEVILLE, Minn. – Pediatric Home Service (PHS) has expanded its Infusion Nursing & Pharmacy service to include the entire state of Wisconsin. “Our goal is to bring compassionate, clinically excellent care to as many patients as possible,” said Becki Long, RRT, general manager – Minnesota and Wisconsin.  “As an organization, we have always aligned our growth with the needs of the community. I am excited for patients to experience the PHS difference through the expansion...