Tag: VGM

WATERLOO, Iowa – VGM Government Relations, in conjunction with Brian Leitten and Leitten Consulting, has released an updated study analyzing efforts by CMS to control distribution of DME. The study, “Competitive Bidding – A Decade Focused on the Wrong Prize. The Case for Medicare Investment in DME in 2021,” looks at how competitive bidding generated savings and reduced fraud but missed an even larger opportunity to invest in DME. “The costs that CMS saved over a...

WATERLOO, Iowa – Nominations for the 2021 HME Woman of the Year Award are now open. The sixth annual award, presented by VGM, recognizes a woman in the industry who has made increasingly significant contributions throughout her career to her company, community, and the home medical equipment industry.  “The HME Woman of the Year Award honors exceptional leaders in our industry,” said Clint Geffert, president of VGM & Associates. “Whether through advocacy, sharing...

WASHINGTON – CMS on Sept. 27 posted a final national coverage determination for home oxygen, but now industry stakeholders must “wait and see” what the DME Medicare Administrative Contractors do with the changes.  While the effective date of the NCD is technically Sept. 27, it won’t be implemented until a later date, when the DME MACs update their local coverage determinations.  “There are a lot of positives here, and we will wait and see,” says...

There are a myriad of challenges facing DME/HME providers, not the least of which is a sharp increase in costs pertaining to several facets of their business. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, PPE, fuel, vehicle and labor costs have risen sharply. Several major DME manufacturers have now announced yet another round of surcharges that have been or will be implemented. In other industries, when a surcharge or price increase is incurred, the cost is passed to the end user purchasing that product....

INDIANAPOLIS – The founding investors behind DMEscripts believe their unique alliance will make a big difference in selling referral sources on e-prescribing, an obstacle to adoption so far.  Apria Healthcare, Lincare, AdaptHealth and Rotech Healthcare, along with AAHomecare and VGM & Associates, launched DMEscripts, an industry backed e-prescribing platform that’s open to any provider, in September.  “That’s the thesis under the whole thing,” said Dan...

WATERLOO, Iowa – VGM & Associates has sent a letter asking CMS, at minimum, to pay all HME providers in non-rural areas, including those in the 130 competitive bidding areas, the 75/25 blended reimbursement rates to help them offset increasing costs.  “Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, acquisition costs for many products have been rising steadily in the form of incremental price increases,” writes Clint Geffert, president of VGM & Associates in the Sept. 8 letter....

WATERLOO, Iowa – VGM welcomed nearly 1,000 guests for its 20th annual Heartland Conference this week.  The conference, which is usually held in June, was moved to September to help ensure health and safety amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizers took precautions like moving all social events outdoors and requiring masks indoors.  “As leaders in the health care industry, we wanted to do everything we could, taking all proper precautions, to help keep everyone safe during...

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Philips does not recommend using bacteria filters with CPAP/BiLevel devices as a means of mitigating chemical emission or particulate matter, it says in a new document related to a recent recall.  “Due to an influx of questions, additional information is being provided about the use of bacteria filters with CPAP/BiLevel devices,” the company states. “According to FDA regulation 868.5260, bacteria filters are medical devices that are intended to remove...

WATERLOO, Iowa – VGM has launched a survey to determine the impact of the labor shortage on the HME industry. VGM plans to share the responses to the nine-question survey with lawmakers to help them understand the difficulties that providers face in hiring and retaining employees. The survey asks providers what state they are in, how many employees they have, how many employees they have lost during the pandemic, what kind of employees they’re trying to hire, and what incentives...

WASHINGTON – VGM has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to expedite its approval process for a replacement foam for respiratory devices affected by the Philips recall.  “We are requesting accelerated approval from the FDA for this critical replacement component for approved technicians to rapidly start the process of replacing/repairing all recalled units,” states VGM in a letter to the agency.  Philips on June 14 announced a voluntary recall of certain...