Archive: July 2018
Study details increased Part A costs due to bid program
July 31, 2018HME News Staff
WATERLOO, Iowa - The VGM Group has added a study that shows the cost shift that is happening as a result of reduced access to DME for Medicare beneficiaries to its lobbying toolbox.
The VGM-sponsored study by Leitten Consulting shows that:
Fall-related injuries due to failure to provide needed mobility equipment results in a cost shift of between $4,705 and $5,029;
COPD-related exacerbations due to failure to provide supplemental oxygen therapy results in a cost shift of about $14,350;...
CU hits milestone
July 31, 2018HME News Staff
BILLINGS, Mont. - Computers Unlimited, developers of TIMS Software, celebrates 40 years in business this year. The company was co-founded in 1978 by Dr. Mike Schraer and is now run by President David Schraer. It has three different software application divisions for three different industries: medical, industrial and audiology. CU got its start by servicing local industrial gas and welding companies, expanded its services to HME companies in the 1980s and to speech, language and pathology companies...
Invacare rebrands Top End
July 31, 2018HME News Staff
ELYRIA, Ohio - Invacare is refreshing its Top End wheelchair brand with a new logo and a new website set to launch in the third quarter. The new “t-racer” logo provides a visual representation of the brand: cutting edge, sleek and performance focused, Invacare stated in a press release. “The decision to rebrand Top End is about more than just changing the logo,” said Jonathan Miller, senior director, mobility and seating, at Invacare. “It's about promoting the incredible...
Bill targets MCO-related cuts to DME
July 31, 2018Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - A bill has been introduced in the Illinois General Assembly that would help to address concerns surrounding 10% to 50% cuts to medical supply companies by certain managed care organizations, according to the Herald & Review. House Bill 5930, co-sponsored by Reps. David McSweeney, R-Barrington Hills, and Gregory Harris, D-Chicago, would prohibit medical supply companies from being paid less than 10% below Medicaid “fee for service” rates by MCOs, the newspaper reported....
Online learning: Observe, reflect, make
July 30, 2018Brie Cohen Vlach
A. Have you ever sat through a tedious online course that was full of text-filled PowerPoint slides, with a person reading word for word what's on the slide? How much of that content do you remember?At Pediatric Home Service, we work hard to create engaging education. Here are some of our best practices to keep nurses and families engaged.Online clinical educationOur online courses have a lab component. The lab is completely hands-on because all of the pre-work is done online. To keep learners engaged...
Software companies debut fresh looks
July 30, 2018Liz Beaulieu, Editor
Universal Software Solutions and Team DME! are two other software companies refreshing their look. Here's why.'Shiny and new'Davison, Mich.-based Universal Software Solutions has been so busy developing products that its look has become “outdated and dull,” acknowledges Lisa Anderson, who works in education and outreach for the company.“Over the years, we just really wanted to deliver the best products we could—we didn't care if our logo was the most modern looking,”...
Prometheus Group turns Prochant
July 30, 2018Liz Beaulieu, Editor
RALEIGH, N.C. - It's a bold move to change the name of a company that has been in the HME industry for about 20 years, but that's just what The Prometheus Group, now Prochant, has done.Prochant, a provider of revenue cycle management services, debuted recently with a new logo, graphics, website and messaging.“This company has grown organically over the years through referrals and word of mouth, but as we looked to grow through more traditional marketing channels, it was time to change our name,...
Q&A: Senior Needs eases access issues
July 30, 2018Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
MARYSVILLE, Tenn. - Timothy Hollis, who works in business development for Home Instead Senior Care in Marysville, Tenn., and its owner, David Kiger, recently launched Senior Needs to provide HME and supplies free of charge.“Wheelchairs can cost upward of $1,000,” he said. “Folks just don't have that type of money these days. They are retired. They are on Social Security. They are struggling when they should be thriving, struggling to get this equipment.”Hollis spoke with HME...
'It's as much design as anything'
July 30, 2018Liz Beaulieu, Editor
BILLINGS, Mont. - While some HME companies look to home modifications as a good “offshoot” business, Robin Campbell launched Accessible Home Solutions from the ground up about a year ago.
“We just thought there was an opportunity in our area, with it being a newer industry and with the builders not focused on it,” said Robin Campbell, who has worked as a consultant in the HME industry in the past.
Because many HME companies already have storefronts and referral bases,...
Billing: Prepare by self-auditing
July 30, 2018Ronda Buhrmester
A. Don't take for granted the documentation requirements for refill requests. CPAP supplies fall under the non-consumable guidelines, which are more durable requiring periodic replacement. Refills cannot be dispensed automatically; there needs to be communication with the patient to assess the need and must be documented making sure each requested item is being addressed. The request must include the patient's name (or authorized person), date of request, description of each item: non-consumable...