In brief: Molina’s next implementation, Medline’s fire response, MiniMed’s Flex
By HME News Staff
Updated 10:22 PM CDT, Mon June 22, 2026
YARMOUTH, Maine – Molina Healthcare of Iowa will implement a new DME Navigator program for members in all lines of business starting in the fall. The payer also has plans to use the platform in Nebraska and Wisconsin.
What durable medical equipment providers in Iowa need to know:
- Molina is subcontracting the DME network to Optum for the in-scope DME products and services.
- CareCentrix will contract, credential and manage a network of DME providers rendering in-scope products and services to Molina members.
- DME providers will need to be contracted directly with CareCentrix. If a provider chooses not to join the CareCentrix network, members receiving in-scope DME products and services will be transitioned to the CareCentrix network. Your existing contract with Molina does not carry over to CareCentrix.
- Orders for in-scope DME products and services for Molina members will be submitted through the DME Navigator POC Platform. Services should not be rendered until DME Navigator POC has approved you as the servicing DME provider. Services not provided according to the DME Navigator POC process are ineligible for reimbursement.
- After being selected to be the rendering provider by DME Navigator POC, authorizations for in-scope DME products and services will still be submitted through the standard submission process to Molina.
- At a future date, to be announced, Molina will be transitioning authorization of in-scope DME products and services to the DME Navigator program.
- After rendering the approved services, claims for DME products and services will be submitted through the standard submission process and adjudicated by Molina. Reimbursement eligibility is dependent on your agreement with CareCentrix and is subject to applicable state, federal and coding guidelines.
- Continuity and Transition of Care will be managed by CareCentrix for in-scope services.
Molina also notes that providers that order / prescribe DME will need to enroll with Parachute Health to access the DME Navigator platform.
The Midwest Association of Medical Equipment Services (MAMES) is surveying providers to gauge the impact of the new contract and to inform its advocacy efforts.
The association is also surveying providers in Nebraska and Wisconsin, where Molina also plans to transition to DME Navigator on Sept. 1 and Aug. 1, respectively.
Medline works to expand delivery capacity
TRACY, Calif. – Medline has boosted regional staffing and inventory, as well as transportation capacity through increased use of MedTrans trucks, third-party carriers, and truck relay operations, to accelerate product movement throughout the area impacted by a fire at its distribution facility in Tracy, Calif.
“Our command center has been operating since the incident, and the Medline team continues to execute our network contingency plan and leverage secondary and tertiary distribution centers,” the company stated in a June 19 update. “Medline continues shipping products 24/7 to health care providers. Our priority remains restoring inventory flow to stabilize fill rates as recovery work progresses. Medline is actively working to expand delivery and inventory capacity to swiftly restore full operational capacity to operations in Northern California.”
Medline says demolition and environmental cleanup are underway at the site, with teams coordinating closely with local officials and Clean Harbors, its third-party environmental response team. Clean Harbors also continues the cleanup of public areas and private residences in the area. Additionally, the company has donated gloves and N95 masks to Fire Station 95 in Tracy for distribution to community members.
In the wake of the fire, Medline is also supporting employees and team members through financial assistance, reimbursement for lost and damaged items, counseling resources though its Employee Assistance Program, and a staffed command center and hotline providing updates in English and Spanish.
CMS implements enrollment changes
WASHINGTON – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently implemented changes that it says will streamline the DMEPOS enrollment process, according to a bulletin from Novitas Solutions, the National Provider Enrollment (NPE) contractor for the East. For applications submitted on or after May 18, 2026, NPEAST will conduct a preliminary review within 10 calendar days of receipt. This review includes items such as exclusion checks, ownership review and accreditation verification (if applicable). Based on this review, fingerprinting and/or an unannounced site visit may be required early in the process. Suppliers should expect, in most cases, a single, comprehensive development request if additional information is needed. When issued, suppliers will generally have 30 calendar days to respond. In some situations, CMS may place a supplier into a Stay of Enrollment status. A stay is a temporary pause in enrollment activity and is not a revocation or deactivation. During a stay, the supplier remains enrolled in Medicare but must resolve the outstanding issue within the required timeframe. If a complete response is not provided, the NPE may take further administrative action (such as deactivation or revocation). If a supplier does not respond to a development request for these application types, a Stay of Enrollment may be applied for up to 30 days. If the issue is not resolved during the stay period, further administrative action (such as revocation) may occur. For initial enrollments or reactivations, failure to respond to development generally results in denial or rejection, and a Stay of Enrollment does not apply. CMS has also established a Stay of Enrollment process for certain standalone surety bond or liability insurance cancellations. In these situations, a temporary stay may be applied to allow time to resolve the issue when no other enrollment deficiencies are present. Suppliers are encouraged to promptly submit updated, valid certificates to avoid disruption. According to the bulletin, suppliers can support timely processing by:
- Carefully reviewing the CMS-855S documentation checklist before submission
- Ensuring all information in PECOS (or paper applications) is complete and current
- Preparing in advance for unannounced site visits
- Completing fingerprint requirements as soon as requested
HME Medical Distribution implements new sales structure as it targets 20% growth
RICHMOND, British Columbia – HME Medical Distribution has named Alan Willems as head of sales, further strengthening its leadership team as it expands across Canada. Willems brings more than 25 years of industry experience to the role, having previously led sales teams and driven growth initiatives throughout his career in the health care and medical equipment sector. “Alan will take on the role of head of sales, leading our growing medical sales division,” said Robert Boscacci, co-founder and CEO of HME Medical Distribution. “Alan is an exceptional leader who will help grow, train and continue HME’s planned 20% growth for fiscal 2027. As HME continues to expand nationally, strengthening our leadership team remains a key priority.” Willems will work alongside Shannon Comeault in a co-sales leadership structure. Comeault will continue to lead HME’s growing medical sales and e-commerce divisions, with an increased focus on supporting the company’s expanding online and national distribution initiatives. They will oversee a team of more than 40 sales professionals across the medical sales, pediatrics and e-commerce divisions. Eli Paradis will continue to lead the company’s growing accessibility division.
Ottobock set to sponsor 2028 Paralympic Games
AUSTIN, Texas – Ottobock on June 26 will be formally named an official sponsor of the LA28 Paralympic Games, building on a partnership that dates back to Seoul 1988. The announcement will take place during Ottobock’s Full Circle Movement event in Los Angeles, held in partnership with Angel City Sports. The event brings together individuals with limb loss and limb difference to trial running prostheses, receive expert coaching and connect with the adaptive sports community, offering a look at the broader ecosystem that supports adaptive athletes. Both the announcement and event, Ottobock says, provide an opportunity to explore how clinical expertise, technical support and community-based programming work together to support adaptive athletes at every stage of their journey. The event will take place at El Camino College in Torrance, Calif.
MiniMed launches Flex insulin pump in US
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. – MiniMed has announced its first commercial launch of the MiniMed Flex system in the United States – the company’s first app-controlled pump and its smallest insulin pump yet. The system launches with Simplera Sync sensor, a disposable, all-in-one sensor with easy two-step insertion. The launch with the Instinct sensor, made by Abbott, will follow later this summer. "For too long, people managing diabetes have had to choose between effective therapy and the freedom to just live their lives," said Que Dallara, CEP of MiniMed. "MiniMed Flex changes that. It's small enough to disappear, smart enough to handle the hard work, and now it's in people's hands. This is the MiniMed we're becoming – faster, and more focused than ever on delivering on our mission." About half the size of other MiniMed pumps, the Flex is the company's most compact pump while still holding 300 units of insulin. The system is powered by MiniMed’s most advanced SmartGuard algorithm, the only system with Meal Detection technology that detects rapid rises in sensor glucose and delivers a correction does. The Flex is cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for people with Type 1 diabetes ages 7 years and older, as well as adults ages 18 years and older with insulin-requiring Type 2 diabetes.
- Related: Medtronic’s MiniMed joins Nasdaq.
Newtn Digital debuts platform to modernize DME workflow
AUSTIN, Texas – Newtn Digital has launched a platform designed to streamline ordering, documentation and claims processing for durable medical equipment (DME) providers. The company says the platform connects health care providers, physicians and DME providers through a secure workflow that reduces paperwork, improves documentation accuracy and helps accelerate reimbursement. "Health care has modernized many aspects of patient care, but DME workflows have remained largely stuck in a paper-based environment," said Newtn Digital CEO Mark Newton. "Those inefficiencies create delays for providers, suppliers and patients alike. We built Newtn Digital to help move information more quickly and accurately between stakeholders while simplifying a process that has remained unnecessarily complex for years." Newtn says the platform features automated demographic capture from EHR systems, digital physician and patient signatures, real-time documentation sharing, and integration with DME billing and patient management software. The company says the launch comes as health care organizations prepare for CMS's adoption of electronic claims attachment standards, increasing pressure to replace paper-based documentation and manual workflows with digital processes. "The shift toward digital documentation is no longer a future initiative for health care organizations," Newton said. "Providers and suppliers are looking for practical ways to improve efficiency, reduce risk and prepare for evolving industry requirements. Solutions that connect stakeholders and improve information flow will play an increasingly important role in that transition."
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