News
Performance, reliability top POC wish list
July 17, 2026HME News Staff
YARMOUTH, Maine – Seventy-one percent of respondents to a recent HME Newspoll say they are either dissatisfied or neutral about the portable oxygen concentrator (POC) options currently available on the market.
As seniors become increasingly active and mobile, demand for POCs continues to grow. However, respondents say the infrastructure supporting the POC market – including the technology of devices – has not kept pace with provider and patient needs.
“The technology...
In brief: Bid calculators & readiness, Tactile settlement, CPAP study
July 17, 2026HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – AAHomecare has created competitive bidding calculators designed to help HME providers better understand the financial impact of submitting bids for the next round of Medicare’s competitive bidding program.
The calculators are based on those previously released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), with several enhancements intended to make them more practical and informative, the association says.
Key features of the calculators include:
Bid limit...
CMS publishes ‘get ready’ message on licensure, accreditation
July 15, 2026HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated the Competitive Bidding Implementation Contractor (CBIC) website on July 15 with a reminder to get licensed and accredited.
Step 1: Get licensed
The agency noted that all locations on a bid must collectively have current, non-expired state/territory licenses in the Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (PECOS) by the close of the bid window, which will open later this year.
To stay on track CMS says to:
Make...
In brief: Apnimed files for IPO, BMC receives warning, Quality Biomed makes buy
July 10, 2026HME News Staff
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Apnimed has filed for an initial public offering (IPO) and announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review its New Drug Application filing for Oxnimbi, an oral treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
In its Form S-1, the company acknowledges positive airway pressure (PAP) as the current standard of care for OSA, but notes many patients refuse or discontinue the treatment due to issues such as discomfort, pressure intolerance and...
CMS proposes changes to bid form, replacement requirements, infusion coverage
July 6, 2026HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed revising the reporting form for its competitive bidding program (CBP) – known as Form C – to include a new “country of origin” field for lead items furnished by contract suppliers.
The form collects product information such as manufacturer name, model name and model number, which is then displayed in the Medicare Supplier Directory on Medicare.gov.
“The new country of origin information...
CMS seeks to tighten provider enrollment provisions
July 2, 2026HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 1 released a 2027 Home Health Prospective Payment System proposed rule that includes new provider enrollment provisions that would apply across Medicare provider and supplier types. Among the provisions: The ability to claw-back payments retroactive to the date of noncompliance for all revocations.
Under current regulations, certain Medicare enrollment revocations become effective prospectively — specifically,...
In brief: Oxygen access issues, wearable adoption barriers, N.C. rate floor
July 2, 2026HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – Limited access to high-flow home oxygen is delaying hospital discharges and adding costs and risks for patients and the health care system, according to a national survey by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA). In the survey, 94% of 54 respiratory clinicians at 40 medical centers nationwide reported at least one discharge delay per month related to oxygen access issues. One-third reported six or more patients experiencing delays each month. Most delays added two or more...
HME industry must help shape policy, says new AAH chair
July 2, 2026Tracy Orzel, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON – Ryan Bullock, the new chairman of AAHomecare’s board, says the HME industry has an opportunity to take a more proactive role in shaping policy in ways that are fair and effective for providers and the patients they serve.
For Bullock, that means working with regulators before policy decisions harden into rules that providers must simply absorb.
“I want to make sure that the HME voice is heard loudly and clearly by policymakers,” said Bullock, chief strategy...
In brief: Bid form change, Medline response, CGM outcomes
July 2, 2026HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed revising the reporting form for its competitive bidding program (CBP) – known as Form C – to include a new “country of origin” field for lead items furnished by contract suppliers.
The form collects product information such as manufacturer name, model name and model number, which is then displayed in the Medicare Supplier Directory on Medicare.gov.
“The new country of origin information...
In brief: Tightening enrollment, SOAR Act urgency, summer advocacy
July 2, 2026HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on July 1 released a 2027 Home Health Prospective Payment System proposed rule that includes new provider enrollment provisions that would apply across Medicare provider and supplier types. Among them: The ability to claw-back payments retroactive to the date of noncompliance for all revocations.
Under current regulations, certain Medicare enrollment revocations become effective prospectively — specifically, 30 days after...