Tag: vgm group

WATERLOO, Iowa—Dave Kazynski will retire from VGM Group, Inc., Feb. 25, after 30 years in leadership roles with the company. Kazynski served as president of VGM HOMELINK from its inception in 1993 until March 2021. Since that time, he has overseen a structured transition in leadership, with Matt Waller ascending to the role of HOMELINK president. In the past year Kazynski also oversaw VGM Forbin, Strategic Imaging, corporate IT and other VGM investment initiatives. Part of founder Van G. Miller’s...

WATERLOO, Iowa – VGM Group has acquired Redstone Content Solutions, a provider of enterprise content management solutions to small and medium-size businesses, and mid-market and enterprise companies. The deal will allow VGM to assist clients in capitalizing on major ECM growth factors: the increasing need to securely organize, categorize and structure all corporate content in a meaningful, easily explorable manner; and the rising demand of companies to deliver personalized...

WATERLOO, Iowa - VGM Business Forum on Jan. 28 will host a daylong event with HME leaders on the competitive bidding gap period—which continues until Jan. 1, 2021—at its headquarters here. Discussions will include federal and state licensure and managed care organization issues; the projected future of the HME industry; and options and solutions for this year. Registration is $30 per person. FMI or to register.

WASHINGTON - Industry stakeholders are focusing on CMS as they seek their footing in a bumpy start to the 116th Congress.With Congress embroiled in shutdown negotiations, stakeholders continue to work with CMS to help shape the next round of competitive bidding, including the product categories.“Discrete product categories and making sure like products are grouped together is really important,” said Cara Bachenheimer, chair of the government affairs practice at Brown & Fortunato, who,...

WATERLOO, Iowa - VGM Group has staked a claim in the “rocking” cannabis and hemp markets with its new division botaniCo.Dawn Prebula, president of the new division, says a recent trade show for the markets drew 27,000 attendees and more than 1,000 exhibitors.“It was rocking,” she said. “We opened the booth at 10 a.m. and closed it at 6 p.m., and we didn't stop.”botaniCo provides its members, which include dispensaries, cultivators, manufacturers, extractors, testing...

WATERLOO, Iowa - A CMS work group on electronic medical documentation could go a long way toward relieving one of the HME industry's biggest pain points: better documentation, says the VGM Group's Ronda Buhrmester.“We've seen suppliers struggling to get better documentation from physicians for years,” said Buhrmester, a reimbursement specialist. “Doctors don't put the proper information in medical records. It's not intentional; they don't know what to put in there. And now suppliers...

WASHINGTON - Industry stakeholders feel they have a “fair shot” at getting broader reimbursement relief for HME providers in all non-competitive bidding areas, rather than in the limited areas proposed by CMS.In comments submitted last week on a recent proposed rule, AAHomecare urged CMS to apply 50-50 blended rates not only in rural and non-contiguous areas from Jan. 1, 2019, through Dec. 31, 2020, but also in the remaining non-bid areas.“It was mentioned in the interim final rule...

WASHINGTON - With the end of the August recess in sight, women's health advocates anticipate the House of Representatives and the Senate to quickly introduce a pair of bills that would require Medicare to pay for custom breast forms.“We have our draft legislation and we are actively seeking lead sponsors,” said Nikki Jensen, vice president of Essentially Women, a division of VGM. “We are hoping they drop within the next few weeks and, hopefully, get passed this year.”Similar...

A. Don't take for granted the documentation requirements for refill requests. CPAP supplies fall under the non-consumable guidelines, which are more durable requiring periodic replacement. Refills cannot be dispensed automatically; there needs to be communication with the patient to assess the need and must be documented making sure each requested item is being addressed. The request must include the patient's name (or authorized person), date of request, description of each item: non-consumable...

WATERLOO, Iowa - Barbara Smith, the 2017 HME Woman of the Year, will serve on the this year's HME Woman of the Year Honorary Selection Committee. Rounding out the committee are Douglas Coleman, CEO of Rocky Mountain Medical Equipment, DBA Major Medical; Liz Beaulieu, editor of HME News; Rita Stanley, vice president of government relations at Sunrise Medical; and Andrew Morse, assistant to the president for Board and Governmental Relations at the University of Northern Iowa. VGM will review the committee's...