Archive: January 2005

Providers At the Arizona Medical Equipment Suppliers Association (AZMESA), 3rd annual conference in June, the members voted in a new board of directors. Serving AZMESA for 2004-2005: President: Steven Treinen, Banner Health System; Vice President: Mark Farmer, Southwest Mobility; Secretary: Curt McLees, OrthoRehab; Treasurer: Patti Hartzell, Sierra Medical Supply; Past President: Richard McKee, Dependable Health Services Inc. Voted to the board of directors was Maureen Hanna, Healthcare Reimbursement...

WASHINGTON - Providers got a dose of good news Jan. 13 when CMS announced that it would continue to reimburse them at the 2004 rate for home oxygen and services. That's an about face from a Dec. 15 notification. At that time, CMS said it planned to withhold 2005 oxygen claims until the OIG provide additional information on which to base reimbursement cuts - as mandated by the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003. CMS expected the OIG information by Jan. 15. In its January announcement, CMS stated:...

ALAJUELA, Costa Rica - In November, CRTS Tom Hafford and rehab technician Jim Smith answered the call. Jim Smith (left) of Texas DME shows Guilermo's mother how to use a back-mounted joy stick to drive over irregular ground near her home Wheels for Humanity founder David Richard contacted NRRTs, which Hafford and Smith belong to, seeking someone in a hurry to fly here and recycle used wheelchairs for disabled people. The duo from Texas DME in Cleburne, Texas, couldn't say no. “The rewards...

While all clinicians are concerned about the welfare of their patients, those serving the pediatric population have a keen sensitivity and are especially selective when it comes to the HME companies they choose. Therefore, product vendors strongly advise providers to “walk the walk” when it comes to informing referral sources about the scope of their services. The clinicians in charge of prescribing therapies and products for their patients need to know that the HME provider will be a...

Golden renews scooter contact with VA OLD FORGE, Pa. - Golden Technologies has extended for one year its $8-$10 million scooter contract with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The contract calls for Golden to supply 9,000 to 10,000 scooters to VA beneficiaries at 163 facilities across the country. Golden won its first contract with the VA in 2003. Golden increased its employee base from 200 to 250 after winning its first VA contract. Colours N' Motion looks to expand in Europe ANAHEIM, Calif....

If there's an unknown quantity among the 10 most influential people in the HME industry, it's probably Dr. Sean Tunis, CMS's chief medical officer and its director of the Office of Clinical Standards and Quality. Tunis joined CMS about 20 years ago, but until he became medical director earlier this year, the industry had little direct interaction with him. What interaction it did have revealed Tunis to take a conservative view of coverage criteria, and a sometimes dim view of the HME industry. At...

As the DMERC's senior and arguably its most respected medical director, chances are you'll find Dr. Adrian Oleck's fingerprints all over most medical policies for durable medical equipment. That kind of influence can't be under estimated. When it comes to deciding what a beneficiary is eligible for and what Medicare will and will not pay for, Oleck's the key gatekeeper. DMERC medical directors all have their areas of interest and take the lead on certain issues, but in most instances, he's the...

PLEASANTON, Calif. - At Medtrade last fall, Puritan Bennett introduced a heated humidification unit that integrates with its ultralightweight CPAP, GoodKnight 420, and new ultralightweight bi-level CPAP, GoodKnight 425. The company is expanding its sales force by 40% in the coming year to keep pace with expected demand for seven additional new products in its sleep line.

If the legislative play hatched by Rep. Dave Hobson, R, Ohio, succeeds, every DMEPOS supplier will enjoy a bottom line that's got anywhere from 3% to 23% more cushion in select product categories. That legislation - H.R. 4491 - is now making the rounds on Capitol Hill and would repeal that provision of the MMA which calls for reimbursement reductions of 10-20% for home oxygen, 20% for hospital beds and 23% for nebulizers. Of course, no one expects this legislation to pass. It's part of a legislative...

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Medicare pays for a lot of medical equipment, but if you think the entitlement program will pony up for an air conditioner, think again. A woman recently submitted the following scenario to James T. Mulder, who writes the Healthcare Notebook column for the Syracuse Post-Standard: My husband has a difficult time breathing in hot, humid weather. His doctor told him to get air conditioning in his home and wrote a prescription for it. My husband took the prescription to the Medicare...