Tag: VGM

Industry scored major wins in an end-of-year spending bill  But, outside of annual updates, reimbursement relief in former competitive bidding areas has been elusive  Stakeholders are now working on a strategy for providing relief in those areas, but CMS’s plans for the next round of bidding is an obstacle  WASHINGTON – Industry stakeholders “left everything on the field” in December, paving the way for Congress to pass several HME-related provisions...

WATERLOO, Iowa – Alan Morris is back at VGM, but now he has eight years of valuable experience at a health system under his belt.   “I learned a lot about how organizations like these operate and how they depend on and interact with providers of home-based care services,” said Morris, who was named director of research and government strategies for VGM Government Relations in October. “I also learned what makes them tick from a financial and operations perspective.”  Here’s...

WASHINGTON – CMS on Dec. 2 announced a 9.1% increase for competitively bid DMEPOS items in non-competitive bidding areas and a 6.4% increase for bid items in former CBAs for calendar year 2023, AAHomecare reports.  Non-bid items will receive an 8.7% increase.  Typically, the CPI-U increases for DME have been 1%-3%. Last year, the inflation adjustment was 5% in former CBAs and 5.4% non-CBAs.  “These increases will help DME suppliers who have been dealing with rising...

In his role as vice president of government relations for VGM, John Gallagher has learned a thing or two about travel.   “Don’t travel on a Friday and don’t travel through Chicago,” says Gallagher, who also recommends planning for when – not if – your flight gets cancelled.   During some recent downtime at home in Iowa, Gallagher was a guest on HME News in 10, where he shared his experiences as a frequent flyer.  Team wins – across...

WATERLOO, Iowa – VGM is now accepting proposals from prospective speakers for its annual Heartland Conference. The conference committee is looking for speakers to offer their knowledge on a variety of topics related to the HME industry, including billing and reimbursement, business operations and leadership strategies. “The call for speakers for Heartland Conference 2023 is now open, and we could not be more excited,” said Kayla Mahler, Heartland education chair. “Our education...

WATERLOO, Iowa – VGM & Associates has released its final playbook of 2022, “VGM Playbook: Business Planning and Leadership,” which provides insight on how DMEPOS providers can enrich their business planning and leadership opportunities within their company. Topics also include leveraging technology to build patient and provider relationships, growing sustainably through merger and acquisition strategy, and optimizing sales to drive growth. “Business planning and leadership...

WATERLOO, Iowa – Jamie Downing, a longtime veteran in the HME industry, has joined VGM & Associates as the senior vice president of program development, where he will focus on the creation and implementation of Peer Learning Communities that will soon be offered by VGM. For the past 12 years, he has been the president and part-owner of the Sleep Wellness Institute, a clinical diagnostic sleep and respiratory DME company, where he grew the business to 75 employees, including six clinic multiple...

WATERLOO, Iowa – Jeremy Stolz, the new president of VGM & Associates (VGMA), believes “a greater sense of collaboration” is key to the company’s and the HME industry’s future.  “I’ve seen the industry evolve to have a greater sense of collaboration, whether you’re a national provider or a mom-and-pop provider,” he said. “Greater unity is what’s best for the patient. But I think we can take this concept even further. Associates...

 WATERLOO, Iowa – VGM & Associates has released its third playbook this year, VGM Playbook: Emerging Opportunities in DMEPOS. Opportunities in DMEPOS highlighted in this playbook include e-commerce, care in the home, home accessibility and bariatrics. “We at VGM & Associates strive to help our VGM members improve on every aspect of their business as it exists today, and to assist in looking toward and planning for the future.” says Krista McNurlen, SVP of Marketing for VGM & Associates....

WASHINGTON – With CMS staying mum on a possible next round of the competitive bidding program, stakeholders want to know, “What’s the plan?”  “Nobody knows what CMS is doing or what their game plan is, as far as the next round of bidding,” said John Gallagher, vice president of government relations for VGM. “It’s supposedly out there for December, but nobody knows if that is only for braces or what it is they will push and, in the meantime,...