In brief: ACCESS Model expands, Merits enters new chapter, CPAP reduces mortality
By HME News Staff
Updated 8:59 AM CDT, Fri September 18, 2026
WASHINGTON – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will expand an existing initiative to offer technology-support care options to Medicare beneficiaries who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure.
The Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions (ACCESS) Model currently offers care options for people with high blood pressure, diabetes, chronic musculoskeletal pain and depression.
“We built ACCESS because too many people with chronic conditions were falling through the cracks between appointments,” said CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. “ACCESS is one of the tools we are using to bring health care into the digital age, giving patients and their providers greater access to AI-enabled technologies, remote monitoring, connected devices, and other innovative tools that can help identify problems earlier and improve care. This latest expansion of the program will help more Americans get the care they need and reward providers who deliver actual results.”
ACCESS uses a new payment approach that enables participating organizations to potentially provide virtual care, health coaching, remote monitoring and connected devices and wearables between regular doctor visits. It emphasizes achieving specified health outcomes, tying payments directly to measurable improvements in patient health.
The agency will grow the ACCESS Model across several areas, including:
- Heart failure: Supporting eligible patients with continuous monitoring focused on measurable gains in function, symptom management and quality of life.
- COPD: Offering targeted support to help maintain or improve lung function, ease symptoms and support day-to-day activities.
The new condition tracks will start in spring 2027.
Merits enters ‘new chapter’ with new manufacturing facility
FORT MYERS, Fla. – Merits Health Products will host a grand opening for The Hanger, its new manufacturing and operations facility in Fort Myers, Fla., on Oct. 22. The new facility marks the official transition of production for its Pilot Navigator Curved Stairlift from Asia to the United States. The company says The Hanger will allow it to better serve customers across North America by increasing production efficiency, improving quality oversight and providing enhanced customization options. "The Hangar represents an exciting new chapter for Merits," said Andrew Maskery, president of Merits Health Products. "Bringing production of the Pilot Navigator Curved Stairlift to the United States, allows us to deliver faster lead times, greater customization, and even higher levels of quality and service for our dealers, providers, and customers." To commemorate this milestone, Merits Health Products invites industry partners, dealers, health care providers, customers, local business leaders, media representatives and members of Southwest Florida community to attend the grand opening. The company says guests will have the opportunity to tour the new facility, meet the Merits Health Products team, learn about the manufacturing process behind the Pilot Navigator Curved Stairlift, and celebrate the future of U.S.-based production with industry peers and community partners.
CPAP adherence tied with reductions in mortality & major cardiovascular events, study finds
YARMOUTH, Maine – Each additional hour per night of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy was associated with a 13% reduction in all-cause mortality risk among adults with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to an abstract presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress 2026, the American Journal of Managed Care reports. This analysis of the French national database of more than 31,000 patients also found a dose-response association between CPAP therapy and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), with significantly lower MACE risk at four or more hours per night. “In this large real-world cohort, higher CPAP adherence was associated with dose-dependent reductions in all-cause mortality and MACE,” the researchers said. The lower mortality risk observed at two to less than four hours per night raises questions about how Medicare adherence thresholds related to outcomes, researchers said. Medicare requires documented use of at least four hours per night on 70% of nights during a consecutive 30-day period within the first three months of therapy for continued coverage. Researchers acknowledged that whether CPAP reduces cardiovascular events and mortality in OSA remains controversial, citing the SAVE trial, which found the therapy did not significantly reduce events among patients with moderate to severe OSA and established cardiovascular disease. They said because their analysis was observational, they cannot establish that CPAP use caused the reductions in mortality or MACE. The ERS Congress was held Sept. 5-9 in Barcelona, Spain.
Wandercraft has officially launched Eve exoskeleton
NEW YORK – Wandercraft has announced the U.S. commercial launch of Eve, making it the world’s first self-balancing personal exoskeleton cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the company says. The launch makes hands-free upright mobility available to eligible wheelchair users living with spinal cord injuries at any level who can manually operate the device’s controller. “FDA clearance showed that Eve was ready to move forward; today is about making it a reality for the people we built it for,” said Matthieu Masselin, co-founder and CEO of Wandercraft. “We have spent years developing the robotics, but our breakthroughs only matter when we’re able to better connect people to the world around them. That’s why we built an infrastructure that supports people every step of the way, from evaluation and fitting to reimbursement, training, and ongoing service.” Wandercraft says eligible individuals can now begin the process of obtaining Eve, starting with a clinical evaluation and trial. After a successful trial and a physician's order, the company individually fits and manufactures Eve. Wandercraft then provides a personalized training program with its team before delivery, with ongoing support afterward.
Crown Medical agrees to $825K settlement for unnecessary DME
WASHINGTON – Crown Medical Solutions and its owners, Michelle and Philanzo King, have agreed to pay $825,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims for payment to Medicare for durable medical equipment (DME), such as knee braces, heel stabilizers and back braces, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The government alleged that, from Nov. 1, 2017, through April 30, 2019, Crown and its owners billed Medicare for DME provided to Medicare beneficiaries that was not medically necessary and/or not properly prescribed by a physician. The settlement is based on the ability of the defendants to pay. “The Department of Justice is committed to fighting health care fraud and holding accountable those who exploit federal health care programs for personal profit,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Karen Martinelli. As part of this resolution, Martinelli will receive approximately $123,750 of the settlement amount. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
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