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Archive: 2013


Also Noted

Furniture maker debuts nightstand to conceal CPAP devices

December 31, 2013HME News Staff

RAPID CITY, S.D. - This nightstand is for sleep apnea patients who want a good night's sleep—and a neat bedroom. Perdue Woodworks will introduce a bedside cabinet that conceals CPAP and BIPAP devices, even while they're in use, at the Las Vegas Market on Jan. 26. The machine and its components tuck neatly behind a pair of doors, while the hose that delivers air to the patient's mask runs through a slot in the cabinet to the patient's bed, according to a story in Furniture Today....

BiPAP, CPAP, CPAP Device, Purdue Woodworks


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E-SP

Resolutions 2014: Walk the plank, pass the buck

December 31, 2013Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor

People the world over are counting down the minutes and hours until the New Year arrives. Except perhaps for Jo in the next cube. She's singing "White Christmas." I am personally counting the minutes until I get sprung from this joint today. No special reason, I just have holiday brain. So let's talk resolutions. I make a few soft ones every year and don't beat myself up when they (inevitably) fall by the wayside. This year's have to do with fitness, both physical and fiscal. One idea I got, just...

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Vendors

What's bad for painkillers is good for TENS devices

December 31, 2013Liz Beaulieu, Editor

YARMOUTH, Maine - A recent recommendation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could provide a big boost to the makers and providers of alternative pain management therapies like TENS.Concerned about the abuse of narcotic painkillers, the FDA wants to reduce by half—to 90 days—the supply that patients can get without new prescriptions. The agency's move is no surprise to Ryan Moore, a physical therapist who is vice president of sales for Roscoe Medical's Pain Management Division.“We've...

BioMedical Life Systems, Pain management, Roscoe Medical, TENS


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Also Noted

COPD mortality tied to poverty, study says

December 30, 2013HME News Staff

LONDON - Mortality rates among COPD patients in low-income countries are linked more to poverty than the prevalence of smoking, according to a new international study published in Thorax. Researchers examined COPD mortality data from 170 countries, finding a strong inverse correlation between mortality and gross national income (GNI). Where the annual GNI was below $15,000, they found COPD mortality rose, but it had no clear link to smoking. Mortality was strongly correlated with spirometric restriction,...

COPD, Mortality rates, Poverty, smoking


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Also Noted

Mediware hosts webinar series on ICD-10

December 30, 2013HME News Staff

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Mediware Information Systems will host a four-part webinar series to help providers prepare for the Oct. 1, 2014, transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10 codes, the company announced Dec. 30. Paula Digby, principal at AQ Consulting, will host the series on Jan. 22, March 26, June 25 and Sept. 10. Registration is limited to the first 500 attendees. The webinars are part of an outreach effort that will also include whitepapers, studies, surveys and testimonials on a variety of topics.

ICD-10 codes, Mediware Information Systems, Paula Digby, webinars


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News

In brief: Mediware reaches out, Liberator reports revenues

December 27, 2013HME News Staff

LENEXA, Kan. - Mediware Information Systems will offer whitepapers, studies, surveys, testimonials, webinars and other resources to providers throughout 2014, the company announced Dec. 24. First up: a Jan. 29 webinar to help HME providers master the complex rules and regulations related to competitive bidding. “Mediware's mission is to help homecare providers better understand the ever-changing homecare arena, while also providing business insights and best practices needed to growth their...

101 Mobility, Bruno Independent Living Aids, Liberator, Mediware, Sleep Apnea, VGM Group


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News

The year in stories

December 27, 2013HME News Staff

YARMOUTH, Maine - Competitive bidding and bankruptcies (three of them, to be exact) dominated the headlines of HME News in 2013. We compiled a list of the five most read stories for 2013, plus the five most read stories about respiratory, mobility and financial-related topics. Here's what turned up. Most read stories CMS announces payment amounts for Round 2 BALTIMORE - CMS announced today that reimbursement rates for certain home medical equipment will be, on average, 45% lower than...

Bankruptcy, Competitive Bidding, year in stories


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Also Noted

FAA puts sleep apnea policy on hold

December 27, 2013HME News Staff

FREDERICK, Md. - Faced with stiff opposition from some pilot groups, lawmakers and physicians, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has put on hold plans to test all overweight pilots for sleep apnea, according to news reports. The FAA had planned to start testing pilots with body mass indices of 40 or greater in January. The FAA has now agreed to consult with industry groups to balance the concerns of all stakeholders, according to news reports. When the FAA announced its plans, legislation...

Sleep Apnea


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News

Reporter's notebook: New year, three goals

December 27, 2013Liz Beaulieu, Editor

YARMOUTH, Maine - What resolutions do industry consultants have for HME providers for the new year?Eliminate re-work like it's your jobKaren Moore thinks providers should be working smarter and harder in 2014, but mostly smarter. In the wake of competitive bidding, providers are feeling tremendous reimbursement pressure, and they no longer have the time nor resources for “re-work,” she says.“If you look at the top denials for Medicare, it's submitting duplicate claims,” said...

Digital, Efficiency, HIPAA


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Also Noted

Bruno, Advanced Rehab grant wish

December 27, 2013HME News Staff

OCONOMOWOC, Wis. - Bruno Independent Living Aids is donating a “Joey” platform lift to Sam Wedig, a 10-year-old with cerebral palsy. The lift will allow Sam's grandparents, Coleen and Mark Wedig, who are raising him, to take him to school and church, and to watch the Iowa Cubs baseball team. Advanced Rehab Technologies in Urbandale, which supplied Sam with his power wheelchair, will install the lift in the Wedig's Dodge Caravan. Bruno and Advanced Rehab learned about Sam through...

Advanced Rehab Technologies, Bruno Independent Living Aids, Donation


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