Tag: Dobson DaVanzo

WASHINGTON - The havoc wrought by Hurricane Florence in September highlighted, once again, the need for policy changes in disaster situations, say HME stakeholders.“What gets lost (is the need) to get better reimbursement to take care of people in devastated areas,” said Bill Guidetti, executive vice president, East Zone, Apria Healthcare. “There are a lot of hidden costs.”Guidetti serves on an AAHomecare work group that was formed in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, which...

WASHINGTON - More than three-quarters of case managers have experienced difficulties with the discharge of patients who need home medical equipment, according to the preliminary results of a new survey from AAHomecare.“I have been a therapist since 1991 and have never been so unable to do my job,” said one case manager. “This Medicare system is broken beyond repair.”AAHomecare announced in July it was working with Dobson DaVanzo & Associations, a healthcare research group,to...

WASHINGTON - Industry stakeholders are reaching past the ranks of HME providers to gauge the impact of competitive bidding, as they continue to push for reforms to the program.AAHomecare is working with Dobson DaVanzo & Associates, a well-respected healthcare research group, on a new surveythat will seek input from not only HME providers but also Medicare beneficiaries, caregivers and other healthcare professionals like hospital discharge planners.“We've made headway at CMS, certainly, with...

WASHINGTON - The years-long delay in the appeals process at the administrative law judge level is costly for both providers and CMS, says a new report.More than half of claims are overturned on appeal and when they are, CMS must pay interest back to providers, according to the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association, which commissioned the report.“This is a crisis that should never have happened,” said Charles Dankmeyer, president of AOPA. “We need to fix this in a way that saves...