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WASHINGTON – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare have announced a voluntary recall of four different models of its bed assist handles and bed assist adult portable bed rails.  Drive has received two reports of entrapment deaths associated with two of its bed assist handle bed rails (models 15064 and RTL15073). The deaths occurred in February 2011 and February 2015 and involved a 93-year-old woman at her home in California and a 92-year-old...

WASHINGTON – Tomorrow Health is expanding support for HME advocacy by becoming an AAHomecare Diamond Corporate Partner. “Tomorrow Health brings strong technological capabilities and expertise with increasingly important value-based care models to our partnership cohort,” said Tom Ryan, president and CEO of AAHomecare. “They are signaling their commitment to strengthening our industry’s capability to deliver public policy results that recognize the importance of quality...

CHICAGO – Medicare spending on physician services fell an estimated $13.9 billion, or 14% below expected levels, in 2020, according to a new report from the American Medical Association. Despite a mid-year rebound after sharp declines early in the year, spending during 2020 never recovered to pre-pandemic levels, the report found. “Physicians experienced a significant and sustained drop in Medicare revenue during the first 10 months of the pandemic,” said Gerald Harmon, MD, president...

WASHINGTON – Noridian Healthcare Solutions, the Supplemental Medical Review Contractor for CMS, is conducting post-payment reviews of claims for surgical dressings billed on dates of service from Jan. 1, 2019, through Dec. 31, 2019. Surgical dressings are ranked in the top four categories with the highest improper payment rate at 62.8%, according to the 2019 Comprehensive Error Rate Testing Improper Payment Report. Medicare provides reimbursement for surgical dressings under the DMEPOS benefit,...

PETERBOROUGH, N.H. – SoClean has filed an amended complaint in its lawsuit against Philips that takes into account a new inspection report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.  The company highlighted the following points in the amended complaint:  “Philips has known for years that the company’s products created a serious risk of harm to consumers.”  “The FDA report also confirmed that Philips had been receiving customer complaints...

ASHLAND, Neb. – Kubat HealthCare has acquired Ashland Pharmacy and plans to expand its services. “Kubat HealthCare’s growth initiative is to enter communities that have been under served by their health care options and provide customers additional services, such as respiratory, infusion, home medical equipment, compounding pharmacy and long-term health care alternatives previously not offered,” said Jim Rich, CEO of Kubat HealthCare. Staci Hubert acquired Ashland Pharmacy...

YARMOUTH, Maine – Analysts expect the final months of 2021 to bring a flurry of deal-making as sellers try to get ahead of a possible increase in the capital gains tax in 2022.  When President Biden released his proposed 2022 fiscal year budget earlier this year, it called for an increase to 39.6%, although the rates look more likely to settle around 25% or so, say analysts.  “That has pulled some activity into 2021 for folks on the fence, so I think the fourth quarter...

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – Fisher & Paykel Healthcare expects new patient diagnoses for sleep therapy in the second half of its 2022 fiscal year to be at or above the previous year, but there is “uncertainty” with another uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases.  The company reported revenue of $227 million for the first half of the year for its home care products group, which includes products used to treat obstructive sleep apnea, representing only a 0.3% increase.  "Growth...

PITTSBURGH – Clinicians, suppliers and manufacturers have a unique opportunity to shape a potential new policy for wheelchair service and funding, says the University of Pittsburgh’s Mark Schmeler.  In November, the university, in collaboration with other investigators, launched a survey to identify the benefits and shortcomings of existing policy in the United States and around the world.  “We want to be able to show, when we design our new policy, that we didn’t...

CLEARWATER BEACH, Fla. – Organizers of this year’s Focus Conference say attendee and exhibitor registrations are trending in the right direction, a sign of excitement for a return to in-person events.  The conference, which takes place Feb. 5-7 at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater Beach, Fla., offers attendees a chance to “reconnect, reset and refresh,” says Nikki Jensen.  “I think something we have all learned from virtual meetings is that virtual...