Archive: August 2006

WASHINGTON - Four members of the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a bill July 13 to consolidate coverage for home infusion drugs and services under Medicare Part B. "It's a first step in the right direction," said Lorrie Kline Kaplan, executive director of the National Home Infusion Association (NHIA). "The coverage right now is very fragmented and confusing to beneficiaries." Under the new bill, H.R. 5791--also known as the Medicare Home Infusion Consolidated Coverage Act of 2006--all aspects...

EVERGREEN, Colo. - Air Lift Unlimited acquired the assets of CareFore Medical, from bankruptcy in June. CareFore Medical is a developer, manufacturer and distributor of respiratory accessories worldwide. Air Lift Unlimited, based in Evergreen, Colo., has served the homecare and hospital marketplace since 1985, manufacturing and distributing soft-sided carriers for the respiratory care, nursing care and high-technology equipment markets.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - While consultants sympathize with the National Community Pharmacists Association's position that accreditation requirements place undue burdens on pharmacists, they say it's still going to happen. "I understand what they are saying because it is going to be a challenge for small retail pharmacies," said Tom Cesar, president of Raleigh, N.C.-based ACHC. "But how about your small DMEs in rural America?" Cesar suggested giving small pharmacies more time to come into compliance as a...

WATERLOO, Iowa - A university economist released a study in July that bolsters the industry's argument against competitive bidding as envisioned by CMS. The study, commissioned by The VGM Group, was conducted by Kenneth Brown, Ph.D., a University of Northern Iowa associate professor of economics who has authored previous work involving the HME industry and competitive bidding. At the crux of Brown's research: The Hobson-Tanner Bill (H.R. 3559) will preserve patient choice, benefit small businesses...

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Medicare's national competitive bidding proposal could hinder access to home medical equipment and supplies and create huge administrative burdens for pharmacists, says the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA). The NCPA is particularly concerned with expensive accreditation requirements for pharmacists who are alread y licensed and highly educated. "There are no margins to begin with and to make them go through a process that can cost tens of thousands of dollars just...

ROCKVILLE, Md. - The Food and Drug Administration warned Rotech, CCS Medical and Reliant Pharmacy--a Lincare subsidiary--on Aug. 9 that they were in violation of federal law for making and distributing "thousands of doses" of nebulizer drugs. The FDA said the companies were targeted because they made inhalants without proving medical need. Steve Silverman, the FDA's acting assistant director of the Office of Compliance, said in USA Today that the agency expects the companies to either show they are...

PITTSBURGH - With M&A-related positions at Lincare, Apria and Rotech on his resume, Jeff Freedman knows what makes national HME providers tick. Or if you're talking about the first and second quarters of 2006, not tick. The nationals have been eerily quiet this year, making few or no mergers and acquisitions. But Freedman says, as some of the uncertainties like competitive bidding become more defined, they'll start buying again. HME News: Why have we seen a slow down in the M&A market? Jeff Freedman:...

Over the years, businesses and professional organizations across the country have turned to community colleges when they need quick, targeted and business-specific training. The HME industry could do the same. What's more, as far as I'm concerned, there is little doubt that community colleges can help transform HME providers into the kinds of HME professionals that policy-makers view with high regard. The demands on employees in the home medical equipment industry and in other markets have increased....

WATERLOO, Iowa - Rehab providers who want to diversify their product mix but stay true to their roots have a new opportunity--becoming a certified environmental access consultant. The VGM Group's U.S. Rehab has begun offering the credential to help providers enter the growing home modifications market, which comprises everything from widening doors to gutting bathrooms. The goal: allowing the elderly to age in place and the disabled to remain in their homes. "Why turn business away?" asked Jerry...

Q. If a manufacturer requires that dealers not sell their products for less than the suggested retail price, is that price-fixing? A. Under federal antitrust laws, price-fixing is an agreement among two or more parties with respect to prices. An illegal price-fixing agreement may be either "horizontal" or "vertical." A horizontal agreement is an agreement among parties at the same level of the distribution chain, such as two retail dealers. A vertical agreement is an agreement between entities at...