In brief: CMS cooks up fraud competition, forms Healthcare Advisory Committee 

WASHINGTON – CMS has announced a “Crushing Fraud Chili Cook-Off Competition,” a market-based research challenge aimed at harnessing artificial intelligence, specifically machine learning models, to detect anomalies and trends in Medicare claims data. 

The challenge also seeks innovative, scalable technologies that reduce labor-intensive processes while keeping humans meaningfully in the loop to ensure effective oversight and interoperability, CMS says. 

The challenge will happen in two phases: 

• Phase 1: CMS will invite research proposals from all interested parties. After reviewing submissions, 10 teams will be selected to advance to Phase 2.  

• Phase 2: Finalists will receive access to Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) Hospice, Part B, and Durable Medical Equipment (DME) claims data via CMS’s Limited Data Sets. Participants will apply their proposed AI/ML techniques to the data and submit a summary of their findings, as well as proposed scalable analytic and policy solutions. CMS will select and publicly announce the challenge winner.

Timeline: 

Phase 1 

• Aug. 19, 2025 – Proposal submissions open, 12:00 AM ET  

• Sept. 19, 2025 – Proposal deadline, 11:59 PM ET 

• Oct. 20, 2025 – Phase 2 participants announced (Time: TBD) 

Phase 2 

• Oct. 30, 2025 – Data access granted to Phase 2 participants 

• Oct. 31, 2025 – Phase 2 submissions open, 12:00 AM ET   

• Dec. 1, 2025 – Final submissions due, 11:59 PM ET   

• Dec. 15, 2025 – Challenge winner announced (Time: TBD) 

FMI, see the Chili Cook-Off Challenge.gov posting. 

HHS, CMS seek to ‘unite best minds in health care’ 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and CMS are establishing the Healthcare Advisory Committee, a group of experts charged with delivering strategic recommendations directly to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy and CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. The overall goal: To improve how care is financed and delivered across Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), as well as the Health Insurance Marketplace. 

"Every American high-quality, affordable care – without red tape, corporate greed or excessive costs," Kennedy said. "This new advisory committee will unite the best minds in health care to help us deliver real results, hold the system accountable and drive forward our mission to Make America Healthy Again." 

CMS is accepting nominations for committee members with expertise in three areas: 

• Chronic disease prevention and management; 

• Federally administered health care financing; and 

• Delivery system reform 

Individuals may either self-nominate or be nominated by an organization. 

The committee will focus on developing: 

• Actionable policy initiatives to promote chronic disease prevention and management; 

• Opportunities for a regulatory framework of accountability for safety and outcomes that reduce unnecessary red tape and allow providers to focus on improving patient health;   

• Levers to advance a real-time data system, enabling a new standard of excellence in care, rapid claims processing, rapid quality measurement, and rewards;   

• Structural opportunities to improve quality for the most vulnerable in the Medicaid program; and 

• Sustainability of the Medicare Advantage program, identifying opportunities to modernize risk adjustment and quality measures to assess and improve health outcomes.  

Committee members will be selected later this year. 

For more information or to submit nominations, visit the Federal Register Notice at: https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2025-16136.  

AASM says PLATO questionnaire fills void in sleep medicine 

DARIEN, Ill. - The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has developed and validated a patient-reported outcome tool called PLATO for use in a clinical setting to monitor treatment, response and longitudinal progression in adults who have obstructive sleep apnea. Results show that the “Patient-reported Longitudinal Assessment Tool for OSA” demonstrates strong internal consistency and test-retest reliability and exhibits robust construct validity through moderate-to-strong correlations with established measures. Scores from the PLATO questionnaire also discriminate between sleep apnea severity levels and body mass index groups, and they are responsive to symptom improvement. “The PLATO questionnaire is a valid and reliable patient-reported outcome tool that fills a significant void in the field of sleep medicine,” said lead author Dr. Douglas Kirsch, a board-certified sleep medicine physician and past president of the AASM. “The 11-item questionnaire can be completed in less than four minutes and is easy to score, making it simple to implement, even in busy clinical settings.” PLATO comprises 11 questions that assess patients’ sleep-related experiences in the past seven days and nights. The questions address topics such as feeling tired or sleepy, experiencing morning headaches or snoring, and overall sleep quality. Patients can complete PLATO during clinic visits before therapy is implemented and at various times after treatment begins to monitor a patient’s response to any form of sleep apnea therapy. The manuscript is available online as an accepted paper and will be published in the Oct. 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, the official publication of the AASM. 

Allegiance Group integrates with R2Health 

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Allegiance Group has announced that its COLLECTPlus platform is now integrated with R2Health’s software to streamline billing and improve cash recovery for infusion providers. “We are excited to partner with R2 Health to bring our proven patient billing and collection strategies to their network of specialty infusion providers,” said Bruce Gehring, SVP of business development at Allegiance Group. “Through our COLLECTPlus integration, providers can automate the patient A/R process and offer flexible payment options that improve both cash flow and patient satisfaction.” R2Health was founded by Rodney Wright following a 30-plus year career in the health care industry, including executive roles in revenue cycle and reimbursement. Originally developed for TANYR Healthcare, a national revenue cycle consulting firm launched in 2013, the R2 platform has evolved into a powerful solution for infusion providers seeking to streamline patient billing and reduce A/R, the company says. “Our focus at R2 Health has always been on automation and efficiency,” Wright said. “This partnership with Allegiance Group aligns perfectly with our vision to help providers reduce A/R days and minimize manual processes. By combining our technologies, we’re empowering health care organizations to achieve stronger financial performance with fewer operational headaches.” 

• Related: ACU-Serve has acquired TANYR, a provider of revenue cycle management services to the infusion industry.   

HME Home Health, Eco Medical host summit for manufacturers 

RICHMOND, British Columbia – HME Home Health and Eco Medical, two of Western Canada’s largest home medical equipment providers, recently hosted a three-day summit with 18 equipment manufacturers in Richmond, British Columbia. Last year, the companies hosted the summit in Calgary. “This year, HME and Eco both saw double-digit growth, and the manufacturers in attendance were excited to partner with Eco and HME on various initiatives,” said Michelle Harvey, COO of HME Home Health. “Our focus this year is to continue to grow our adult rehab, pediatric and accessibility divisions.” Earlier this year, HME Home Health held its Annual Pediatrics Day to bring together pediatric therapists from across British Columbia – in-person and via live stream – with pediatric equipment manufacturers and representatives from key pediatric funding sources. More about the companies: 

• HME Home Health has 10 locations and more than 85,000 square feet of office and warehouse space in Richmond, Victoria, Surrey, Nanaimo, North Vancouver, Kelowna, Sechelt, Abbotsford and Kamloops. The company’s workforce is comprised of more than 130 highly-trained professionals, technicians and support staff. 

• Eco Medical, headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, has three locations in the Edmonton, Grande Prairie and Calgary provinces. In 2020, it expanded into Manitoba, opening its first location in Winnipeg. 

Persante announces strategic initiative, taps new COO 

MT. LAUREL, N.J. – Persante Healthcare has announced a strategic initiative to streamline efficiencies, improve communication and position the company for scalable growth. As part of this initiative, Persante has named Whitney Brenke as COO. Her appointment follows Persante’s successful acquisition of Sleep Management Services (SMS) earlier this year, where she played a key leadership role in scaling partnerships across the southeast region of the country. “As part of reengineering our internal operations, embracing AI technology within our operational platform, rolling out next generation FDA-cleared diagnostic devices, and attracting and developing industry leaders as part of the team, Persante is better positioned than ever to support our hospital partners and welcome new opportunities,” said Vyto Kab, CEO of Persante. “Whitney’s leadership, combined with the momentum that Persante and the diagnostic space is experiencing, will propel Persante to deliver on its promise to be the preferred hospital partner for sleep diagnostics nationwide.” Brenke brings more than 15 years of executive leadership in health care operations, with a track record of driving performance improvement and building high-functioning teams across clinical and administrative functions. Persante has more than 85 hospital partnerships and conducts more than 125,000 sleep studies annually. 

VGM & Associates cuts through noise in new podcast 

WATERLOO, Iowa— VGM & Associates has launched a new podcast series, IM: Unfiltered. This new series delivers candid conversations, expert insights and timely updates that matter most to home medical equipment (HME) providers. Hosted by Lindy Tentinger, president of VGM & Associates, IM: Unfiltered offers a fresh perspective on topics such as advocacy and legislation, industry trends and member success stories. “We wanted to create a space where we could speak directly to our VGM members – honestly, openly and with purpose,” said Tentinger. “IM: Unfiltered is about cutting through the noise and delivering real value to the people who power this industry. We’re excited to connect with our community in a more personal way.” Listeners can expect timely updates on industry happenings, including legislation and advocacy efforts, conversations with HME industry leaders and experts, and practical insights for navigating today’s HME landscape. The podcast is available now, with new episodes dropping regularly. Click here to listen or watch.