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I got my first COVID vaccination in early April and immediately slacked my co-workers to share an image of my “Crushing COVD-19” sticker. Along with the obligatory congratulatory emojis, came the obligatory jokes about government chips and tracking. As a person with diabetes, I’m used to tracking. I track my numbers, my insulin doses and my carbs. In turn, my Freestyle Libre sensor tracks me and sends data wirelessly to the Diabetes Center from my iPhone (no more arriving at...

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Numotion has added three employees – two of them ATPs – in the southern Missouri area. The new staff have a combined 28 years of experience in the complex rehab technology industry, the company says. “We are proud to welcome this group of experienced CRT professionals to the Numotion family,” said James Hartman, executive vice president, West Division. “These additions to the team will allow us to serve more customers in southern...

FRESNO, Calif. – MedSupply, a distributor of medical equipment and supplies that specializes in negative pressure wound therapy, low-air loss mattresses, advanced wound care supplies and complex rehab mobility, has promoted Linda Psaras to vice president of sales and marketing, post-acute. Previously, Psaras joined MedSupply as an account executive before quickly advancing to director of business development. In her new role, she is responsible for guiding the company’s...

AAHomecare has worked with TexMEP and other stakeholders to get three bills introduced in the state legislature on rate stability and patient access to quality HME. HB 3679 would require Medicaid managed care organizations to reimburse providers at no less than 95% of the state’s published Medicaid DME fee schedule. HB 3678 would update the insurance code to support Medicaid continuity of care and patient choice language, and ensure adequate reimbursement. HB 3677 would amend...

CAESAREA, Israel – Ninety-three percent of health care professionals currently use home sleep apnea testing in their practices, according to the results of a recent survey designed by Itamar Medical.  Furthermore, HSAT represents more than 50% of the daily test volume in 66% of the practices surveyed.  “While sleep apnea affects an estimated 54 million to 64 million people in the U.S., roughly 80% of sufferers remain undiagnosed and untreated, largely due to the lack of...

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,”...