News
Stakeholders hit the ground running with new bill
September 22, 2023Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON – The HME industry needs to be “prepared for anything,” stakeholders say, to get reimbursement relief in place for 2024.
Stakeholders converged virtually on Capitol Hill on Sept. 20 as part of AAHomecare’s Washington Legislative Conference to push the DMEPOS Relief Act of 2023 (H.R. 5555), a bill that would provide a 90/10 blended Medicare reimbursement rate for most home medical equipment products in competitive bidding areas for all of 2024 and extend...
In brief: AdaptHealth moves on, Boeye moves to Parachute
September 22, 2023HME News Staff
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. – AdaptHealth and Crispin Teufel have agreed to terminate Teufel’s employment contract.
The company had appointed Teufel as CEO in June, with a start date of Sept. 1, but he was sued in August by former employer Linde, which was seeking to block his appointment for an unspecified time. In the lawsuit, Linde alleged breach of contract, breach of duty of loyalty and misappropriation of trade secrets.
In a filing in late August with the U.S....
In brief: Best Buy Health expands partnership, senators question ‘in the home’ requirement
September 20, 2023HME News Staff
MINNEAPOLIS and DANVILLE, Pa. – Best Buy Health and Geisinger will expand their work together to bring in-home care for patients with chronic conditions.
Beginning in July 2022, Best Buy Health and Geisinger began deploying specially trained Geek Squad Agents to deliver, install and activate remote care management devices in a program that now involves 300 Geisinger patients. While in the home, agents educate patients on the technology in their care plan, answer questions about...
Bid relief bill drops ahead of Legislative Conference
September 19, 2023HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, and Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., have introduced a bill in the House of Representatives that would provide a 90/10 blended Medicare reimbursement rate for most home medical equipment products in competitive bidding areas for all of 2024.
The DMEPOS Relief Act of 2023 (H.R. 5555) would also extend the current 75/25 blended rate currently in effect in rural/non-CBA areas through 2024.
“This legislation provides a long-overdue relief...
Slight majority opposes prior auths, according to poll
September 15, 2023Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
YARMOUTH, Maine – Prior authorizations have their uses, but they also create a heavy burden with no guarantee of payment, say 58% of respondents to a recent HME Newspoll.
“Prior authorization is fine if the insurance plan honors their end of the agreement,” wrote one respondent. “To do all the work to obtain the PA only to receive a denial is very frustrating. Even more frustrating is to have the plan tell you that prior authorization is not a guarantee of payment.”
Prior...
In brief: Permobil acquisition, MobilityWorks recognition, Walgreens partnership
September 15, 2023HME News Staff
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Permobil has acquired Vancouver, B.C.-based PDG Mobility, adding expertise and a leading range of tilt-in-space products to its portfolio of complex rehabilitation solutions.
“I’m delighted to welcome PDG Mobility to the Permobil family,” says Chuck Witkowski, president of Permobil Americas. “At Permobil, we are committed to providing end users with the highest quality, most clinically relevant solutions. PDG’s portfolio meets...
In brief: Quipt buy, oxygen template, Woman of the Year
September 13, 2023HME News Staff
CINCINNATI – Quipt Home Medical has acquired a business with operations in Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana reporting unaudited annual revenues of about $9 million and adjusted EDITDA of $2 million post-integration.
The company says the acquisition adds scale with 10 locations, 17,500 active patients, 1,900 unique referring physicians and important insurance contracts.
“The completion of this transaction demonstrates our ongoing patience and discipline as it relates...
Oxygen template: CQRC enlists Congress
September 12, 2023HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – Fourteen members of the U.S. House of Representatives have sent a letter to CMS urging the agency to clarify Medicare documentation requirements for supplemental oxygen and adopt a standardized template for documenting patient need, according to the Council for Quality Respiratory Care.
“We write to request that auditors accept the standard written order (SWO) as the only necessary documentation to establish medical necessity when auditing claims of patients who...
Andrea Stark on re-engineering Medicare Advantage
September 8, 2023Liz Beaulieu, Editor
YARMOUTH, Maine – There will be overdue changes to Medicare Advantage in the next year that will make them “a lot more friendly” to HME providers, says Andrea Stark.
Stark, a Medicare consultant and reimbursement specialist with MiraVista, joined the HME News in 10 podcast in August to take a deep dive into the “state of the state” of Medicare Advantage and what’s in store for these plans.
Here’s an excerpt:
‘State of the...
In brief: AAHomecare survey, Bigfoot sale, Medtronic lawsuit
September 8, 2023HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – AAHomecare has launched a survey to learn what education topics would be most beneficial to an HME company’s livelihood and operations.
The association will use the results of the survey to help shape a curriculum featuring respected thought leaders from the HME Industry and beyond that addresses pressing concerns.
“In a recent industry survey, nearly 250 HME professionals nationwide shared business pain points revealing critical challenges impacting...