Archive: September 2014
$24 million Medicare fraud alleged
September 30, 2014HME News Staff
HOUSTON- Angel Mirabal, of Miami, was arrested Sept. 26 on charges of scheming to defraud Medicare. From April 2013 to July 2013, Mirabal allegedly conspired to bill Medicare $24 million in fraudulent claims for reimbursement through Quick Solutions Medical Supplies. According to the indictment said Mirabal and his co-conspirators used fraudulent shell companies to launder and disburse the proceeds from the health care fraud scheme.
ResMed, Brightree plan enhancements
September 30, 2014HME News Staff
SAN DIEGO - ResMed has expanded its relationship with Brightree, with both companies agreeing to enhance the integration of ResMed's U-Sleep compliance solution within the Brightree solution and add new features from ResMed's AirView patient management system. The first of these enhancements is salted to introduced in November. Brightree and ResMed began working together in 2013 to automate the onboarding of patients that use ResMed S9 PAP devices into U-Sleep.
Provider makes award triple play
September 30, 2014HME News Staff
NEW BERLIN, Wis. - Home Care Medical has received the HME Provider of the Year award from the Wisconsin Association of Medical Equipment Services (WAMES). This is the third year in a row the provider has been honored with the award. Also receiving awards: Jim Spellman, director of operations and WAMES president, received the Industry Excellence award for his efforts on the WAMES Legislative Committee; and Donna Smith, director of respiratory care, received the Distinguished Service award for her...
Stick to your kitting
September 26, 2014Jeff Rowe
ATLANTA - Looking to sell your business? Is now a good time? In the HME industry, there are no easy answers. At Medtrade, in a session entitled, “The Great What If? Mergers and Acquisitions in a Fractured Market,” Patrick Clifford, managing director of The Braff Group, will explain why “buying strategies are as varied as interpretations of the latest musings from CMS, and valuations are seemingly as random as a RAC audit.”HME News: Why is the M&A market for HME so fractured...
#Pharmacists ready to tweet
September 26, 2014HME News Staff
ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Pharmacists from around the world will take part in a tweet-a-thon Oct. 2. The second annual event will allow pharmacists to highlight the positive impact pharmacist have on patients, communities and the healthcare system, according to a release from the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA). Last year m ore than 7,100 tweets with the hashtag #Pharmacist were sent. “From preventing potentially adverse reactions, to teaching newly diagnosed diabetic patients how...
Griffin sports
September 26, 2014Leah Hoenen
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - To fulfill its mission of treating the families of its clients like family, Griffin Home Health Care has launched a new division, Griffin Sports, Health & Wellness. Now, when families come in to pick up Dad's new wheelchair, they can find a knee brace for an injured student and some fitness gear to help her recover.“It dawned on me that we were missing a huge chunk of your family, specifically folks that are very much interested in wellness,” said Richie Griffin,...
Reporter's notebook: Crash course in charting and other calamities
September 26, 2014Liz Beaulieu, Editor
For years, HME providers have been trying to teach physicians what they need to include in their chart notes, often to no avail, says Sarah Hanna, president of ECS Billing & Consulting North.But the transition to ICD-10 may be the thing that finally gets through to them, she says.“How a physician gets paid corresponds to a diagnosis procedure code,” she said. “Well guess what, to prove medical necessity for an ICD-10 code, which is more specific, you have to chart in a way that...
Home infusion: Stakeholders arm themselves with data
September 26, 2014Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON - The stars could align for the latest iteration of a bill to require Medicare to cover home infusion therapy, say industry stakeholders.
Similar bills have been introduced over the past several years, but stakeholders have a few things working in their favor this year. The first: a new study by Avalere, a non-partisan healthcare policy firm, that found Medicare could save $80 million over a 10-year period if it covers home infusion therapy. The National Home Infusion Association (NHIA)...
Fraud hurts people with disabilities
September 26, 2014Letter to the Editor
On Aug. 16, 2014, the Washington Post published an article entitled “A Medicare Scam That Just Kept Rolling” regarding fraudulent Medicare power wheelchair payments that unfairly perpetuates a black cloud over dedicated and accredited Medicare durable medical equipment (DME) providers. More importantly, it makes it harder for people with real disabilities and chronic medical conditions to get the mobility equipment they need.
This is especially troubling for Medicare beneficiaries...
It's time to pick up the industry stakeholder flag
September 26, 2014Guest Commentary
How often have you picked up an article in an HME industry related publication and read the term “industry stakeholder.” “Industry stakeholders respond to the CMS plan for…” “Industry stakeholders are bristling at the idea of using competitive bidding pricing for…” “Industry stakeholders have been intensifying the lobbying for…” And so on. It is embarrassing to admit, but it wasn't too long ago that my reaction was always, “Thank goodness...