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    • NEWSWIRE
      LCD has no bearing on at-home sleep tests

      YARMOUTH, Maine - A local coverage determination (LCD) released Feb. 14 that said home-based sleep studies are not covered under Medicare is no cause for alarm, industry leaders say.

      The LCD was released by National Government Services, a CMS fiscal intermediary.

      "This is not DME policy," said Dr. Paul Hughes, medical director for jurisdictions A and B, the regions covered by NGS. "This is for hospitals and docs who actually do PSTs."

      The LCD is simply a quarterly update, done to update revised HCPCS codes, said Dr. Robert Hoover, medical director for Jurisdiction C.

      "(The DME MACs) are in the middle of that process right now," he said. "In the next week to 10 days, the MACs will release our revised policies and the CPAP is still going to say facility-based testing is the way to go."

      That's because CMS has not yet released its final decision on whether to cover at-home based sleep tests. The decision, expected March 13, will likely favor the proposal.

      Until then, local coverage policy cannot be updated, said Dr. Hughes.

      "Until the rules change, the rules are what they are," he said.

      The LCD states: "For a study to be reported as a polysomnogram, sleep must be recorded and staged and must be attended. Sleep studies should be performed in a hospital, sleep laboratory or by an Independent Diagnostic Testing Facility that is supervised by a physician trained in analyzing and interpreting the recordings and should be attended by a trained technologist. Sleep studies performed in the home are not covered."

      "You will see an NCD in March that will most likely have a July 1 or Oct. 1 effective date (for at-home sleep tests), so when we are putting out our next revised policy we will again have to revise it depending on what the NCD says," said Hoover.

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      HME News Info Center
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      CALENDAR

      March 2010
      The American Association for Homecare will host the Washington Legislative Conference, March 1-3, 2010, at the Capital Hilton, Washington, D.C.
      It is impossible to have a strong impact on home medical equipment policy without more involvement on Capitol Hill. In 2010, the home medical equipment community faces continued challenges: competitive bidding, complex mobility policy, the oxygen cap, and other regulatory and legislative concerns.
      So we are asking HME stakeholders to make their voice heard. AAHomecare will provide background materials for this key annual lobbying event for the HME sector. Speakers during the conference will include members of Congress and officials from CMS.
      For more information, please visit www.aahomecare.org

      Attend the CAMPS Convention for only $125 (member pricing) and attend as many of the various sessions. The schedule is divided into tracks to help you determine the best sessions for your interest. This year's line-up includes sessions such as: Business Management, Operations / Reimbursement, Exemptee Training, Respiratory CE*, RESNA RT Prep Test. Earn 6 units of continuing education with the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC). Do not hesitate, register by February 1, 2010 to take advantage of the $50 savings. Register here: http://member.campsone.org/cgi-shl/TWServer.exe?EREG:OrderEvent:2010AM

      May 11-13, Las Vegas at the Sands Expo and Convention Center. This annual event features educational sessions and an exhibit hall where manufacturers show off their latest wares. For more information, or to register: www.medtrade.com/medtrade-spring

      Pennsylvania Association of Medical Equipment Suppliers (PAMS) holds 2010 Annual Billing Seminar featuring Andrea Stark, a reimbursement specialist for MiraVista. Topics covered will include "Documentation Requirements for General DME"; "Utilizing ABNs: A Best Practices Guide"; and "Medicare's Latest Anti-Fraud Initiatives." Registration: $100 for PAMS members and $125 for non-members. Location: Four Points Sheraton in Harrisburg, Pa. FMI: www.pamsonline.org.

      2:00pm - 3:00pm EST
      Join Andrea Stark for the second installation in a special three-part billing series, where you’ll learn how to:
      Prescreen your claims for potential denials.
      Utilize technology to submit claims electronically, reduce the burden on your AR department, and decrease your risk of getting denied.
      dentify potential same or similar, medical necessity, or other eligibility issues (i.e. SNF stays).
      Establish an AR Strategy and ensure that reporting tools effectively capture the vulnerabilities of claim processing to include analysis of claim rejections, days sales outstanding and denials.
      This webinar will provide you with the tips and tools you need to be sure you are properly submitting claims to Medicare, the first time around.

      AMEPA and FAHCS present the third annual Florida Home Care Conference. Scheduled to appear: Walt Gorski (Washington update), Jeff Baird (Legal), Mark Higley (Audits), Sean Schwinghammer (Tallahassee update), Sylvia Toscano (Billing) and Ty Bello (Referrals).
      FMI: visit www.amepa.us or e-mail info@amepa.us


      April 2010
      MAMES is pleased to announce the opening of ONLINE registration for the 2010 MAMES Spring Convention & Exhibition being held April 14 - 16, 2010 in Omaha, Nebraska. Online registration is available by clicking on the following link: http://www.mames.com/confreg_spring.cfm or by going to: www.mames.com and clicking on the "Education" icon on our homepage.

      Annual event features manufacturer exhibits, networking and educational sessions for womens health providers. Louisville, Ky.
      FMI: call 800-988-4484, visit www.essentiallywomen.com or email melissa@essentiallywomen.com


      May 2010
      This free workshop from ACHC will be hosted by Tim Safley.
      Trump International Hotel Las Vegas
      1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
      To register, go to www.achc.org.

      Pennsylvania Association of Medical Equipment Suppliers (PAMS) holds 2010 Annual Convention. This year's theme is "Extreme Makeover: HME Edition." FMI: http://www.pamsonline.org/

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      IMC-Heartway, LLC
      Infopia Co., Ltd.
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