Archive: March 2009

PHOENIX--HME provider Ron Evans and Respironics Senior Account Manager Dale Joyce helped a family out of a big jam this past winter. It all started last fall when Evans, the founder of Valley Respiratory Services, spent two months trying unsuccessfully to get an insurance company to cover a cough assist device for two 18-month-old twins with spinal muscular atrophy, Lauren and Kyle Byrd. This degenerative disease is a more severe form of muscular dystrophy and makes it very difficult and ultimately...

Q. I'm often asked to call or write my member of Congress about DME issues. But I'm just a small provider with six employees. I don't carry any weight, so what's the point? A. Never underestimate the power of your voice, no matter how small. It's the relationship that gives you power. One small voice added to another makes two, and those two become 10, and then 100. Before long you become a part of a larger choir of voices telling your member of Congress about the value of home care and how we are...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.--Philips Respironics has co-sponsored a study of the “controversial” connection between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and chronic insomnia, according to a February release from the Sleep and Human Health Institute. Respironics has awarded a $50,000 grant to the institute, which hypothesizes that more than half of chronic insomniacs suffer from OSA, not psychological factors. In other news, Respironics has agreed to sponsor HME News subscriptions for all members of Congress.

TRINIDAD, Colo.--With rehab companies pinching every penny, NRRTS recently kicked off a campaign to convince them and their employees to renew their memberships. Over the last few years, NRRTS has lost about 34 members. The reasons, say officials: Some rehab companies have stopped covering the $200 annual membership fee for their employees, who, in turn, don't want to pick up the tab; and some rehab companies no longer make NRRTS a priority, now that CMS requires them to have RESNA-certified assistive...

There's no ignoring the numbers when it comes to the diabetes market - nearly 75 million Americans either have Type 2 diabetes or are at risk for developing it. Recent projections for diabetes worldwide expect the population to rise from 171 million in 2000 to 366 million by 2030. If that's not enough to warrant attention, how about this: Nearly 13% of the U.S. population age 20 and older has diabetes, with only 40% of those diagnosed. The market growth rate for 2009 alone is reported at 5% to 7%. Scott...

FARGO, N.D.--Physician-owned pharmacies are not exempt from accreditation requirements, said Noridian Administrative Services, the Jurisdiction D MAC, in a bulletin last week. If the pharmacy bills Medicare Part B for durable medical equipment and supplies, it must meet the Sept. 30, 2009, accreditation deadline. Pharmacies that only supply pharmaceuticals do not need to become accredited.

CLEARWATER, Fla.--Lincare in February reported revenues of $415.1 million for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2008, compared to $412.3 million for the same period in 2007, a 1% increase. Net income was $58.2 million compared to $57.6 million. The provider reported revenues of $1.665 billion for all of 2008 compared to $1.596 billion for 2007, a 4% increase. Net income was $237.2 million compared to $226.1 million. In its earnings statement, Lincare predicts a tough 2009. It believes the 9.5% Medicare...

WASHINGTON--It was standing room only during the Feb. 11 Small Business Committee hearing on the effects of national competitive bidding on small providers. “One of the ranking members of the committee said he attended a stimulus package hearing that didn't have that many people,” said Beth Bowen, executive director of the North Carolina Association of Medical Equipment Services (NCAMES), which worked with Rep. Heath Shuler, D-N.C., to organize the hearing. Shuler held a similar hearing...

As a child, provider Charles Barnes III recalls spending time in his father's pharmacy and HME store, where he would settle into a wheelchair with comic books and ice cream. “I think I was born at the soda fountain,” said Barnes, CEO and third-generation owner of Barnes Healthcare Services, a Valdosta, Ga., family business that has been growing and evolving since his grandfather, Charles Barnes, opened shop in 1909. Charles Barnes III began working at the store in 1972. He took over...

The rehab industry may have its hands full trying to convince lawmakers that they should exempt complex wheelchairs from the 9.5% Medicare reimbursement cut, but that's not stopping it from keeping an eye toward the future. The rehab industry has begun exploring the possibility of divorcing HME, making complex wheelchairs a separate benefit. “Every time the HME industry gets cut, it hurts us the most,” said Sharon Hildebrandt, executive director of NCART. “We're different. We have...