Archive: August 2018
Philips to drop UltraFill
August 31, 2018Liz Beaulieu, Editor
MURRYSVILLE, Pa. - Philips plans to discontinue its UltraFill Home Oxygen System, in another nod by the company to portable oxygen concentrators as the preferred form of therapy.Philips has confirmed that it will stop selling the system, which includes a stationary oxygen concentrator, a filling station and high-capacity 3,000 PSI cylinders, by the end of this year.“With the evolution of the oxygen marketplace, customer demand has shifted to portable oxygen concentrators as the primary choice...
IVS ready to promote VOCSN
August 31, 2018Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
NORWOOD, Mass. - The people behind the new company Integrated Vent Solutions say multi-function ventilator technology is a game changer.IVS will serve as the exclusive distributor of the VOCSN, a portable device that combines a ventilator, oxygen concentrator, cough assist, suction and nebulizer into one unified system,in New England.“The VOCSN is probably the most exciting development in the ventilator space in 20 years,” said Eric Mongeau, managing director of IVS.The VOCSN, manufactured...
In brief: GAO reports on bid program, Lifeway Mobility receives investment
August 31, 2018HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - The average reduction in payment rates in non-competitive bidding areas for five DME items with the highest expenditures in 2016 was 46%, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.
In its review of the effects of reduced payment rates in non-bid areas, the GAO also found that: the number of suppliers furnishing rate-adjusted items in non-bid areas in 2016 decreased 8% compared to 2015; and beneficiary utilization of rate-adjusted items in non-bid areas...
Aeroflow expands to Northeast
August 31, 2018Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Aeroflow Healthcare has added Connecticut to its footprint, with its recent acquisition of the CPAP and resupply business of Med-Caire in Vernon.
Aeroflow will now serve resupply patients in that state, as well as the Carolinas.
“We are very attracted to Connecticut's higher reimbursement rates,” said Andrew Amoth, corporate development manager. “There's a healthy mix of strong reimbursements from all payers in the state compared to other states....
Fellow fighters wanted
August 31, 2018Liz Beaulieu, Editor
NEW YORK - Gerry Dickerson has held nearly every other position on the NRRTS executive committee, but this month, he was finally named president-elect.
Here's what Dickerson, an ATP and CRTS who works for National Seating & Mobility, had to say about the challenges and opportunities in the complex rehab industry.
HME News: The story goes you've had a hand in complex rehab since you were a teenager. At 13, you were constantly tinkering with an uncle's Colson wheelchair, at one point...
Bonafide launches 'Amazon-style' shopping portal
August 30, 2018HME News Staff
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Bonafide Management Systems has launched its Facility Portal, an online shopping portal to allow HME providers to sell to healthcare facilities. The portal is directly linked to back-office billing operations, inventory and delivery systems, according to a press release. The “Amazon-style” shopping experience allows healthcare facility nurses to create patient profiles, place rental and sale orders, suggest patient-specific items based on a clinical algorithm,...
Lifeway Mobility targets growth through investment
August 30, 2018HME News Staff
HARTFORD, Conn. - Lifeway Mobility, an accessibility solutions company started by former Numotion CEO Paul Bergantino, has received a “major investment” from Cleveland-based Rockwood Equity Partners.
As part of the transaction, Rockwood will provide additional capital and resources to enable Lifeway Mobility to accelerate its plans to become the leading provider of accessibility and safety solutions for people with mobility challenges and those wishing to age in place, according to...
Short takes: MK Battery, ResMed, Invacare
August 30, 2018HME News Staff
In conjunction with NRRTS, MK Battery has received approval for a 0.1 CEU course titled “Battery Technologies.” The one-hour course provides in-depth instruction on the proper selection, installation, care and maintenance of batteries used in power mobility equipment, and is geared toward technicians, ATPs and others who cater to the HME/mobility market. To schedule a course: sales@mkbattery.com…ResMed has upgraded its Astral life support ventilators to include optional AutoEPAP in...
Inogen's Scribner to leave
August 29, 2018HME News Staff
GOLETA, Calif. - Matt Scribner, Inogen's executive vice president of operations, will leave the company, effective Jan. 2, 2019. Bart Sanford, most recently senior vice president of operations at Cepheid, a molecular diagnostics company, will step into the role on Sept. 17, 2018, to ensure an orderly transition, according to a press release. “Matt has been a part of the company's success and I want to thank him for his many contributions to Inogen over the years and wish him the best in his...
Numotion formalizes contributions
August 29, 2018Liz Beaulieu, Editor
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. - Numotion's new foundation will serve as a “more strategic vehicle” for the company's growing charitable contributions, says CEO Mike Swinford.The Numotion Foundation will serve as a centralized place for distributing contributions to other 501(c)(3) organizations, he says.“It takes the burden off of our local teams, which get requests all the time from local organizations and chapters,” he said of Numotion's 140 branches. “Now they can funnel those...