In brief: VGM’s new brand, Ashvin’s new raise, bidding's new timeline

WATERLOO, Iowa – VGM has announced a new, unified brand and customer experience that gives its health care-focused businesses, services and expertise a clearer identity designed to help providers access the support they need to operate, grow and care for patients.

The evolution brings VGM’s capabilities together under one shared promise: Healthcare connected.

“Our unified team’s sole focus is helping our members and customers solve problems, strengthen their businesses, serve more patients and prepare for what comes next,” said Lindy Tentinger, president of VGM. “We brought VGM together to make it easier for them to find the right person, access the right expertise and connect with the resources that can help.”

VGM will support the new, unified brand through a phased rollout of updated digital experiences, customer resources, communications and materials. It will transition some established brands and offerings over time based on customer familiarity and needs, and market considerations.

A clearer path into VGM

More than 40 years after its founding, VGM has expanded its expertise, vendor partnerships, and offerings to meet the changing needs of customers. That growth created more ways to support the industry, but also multiple brands, experts and entry points. The company says the unified brand creates a clearer path into VGM.

“The challenges providers face do not fit neatly into separate departments or brands,” Tentinger said. “Reimbursement affects operations. Technology affects patient experience. Regulatory decisions affect growth. Advocacy affects the future of care. Our people and expertise should work together in the same way these challenges do.”

VGM says the relationships, services and industry expertise customers rely on are not changing – the goal is to make them easier to access and connect.

“Our goal is not simply to make VGM easier to navigate,” Tentinger said. “It is to help our customers access the full value of VGM so they can make confident decisions, identify opportunities for growth, improve their operations, and continue delivering essential care in their communities.”

‘Doubling down on the industry’

VGM says the change is not simply a new logo or visual identity, but a recommitment to the industry it serves.

“This is VGM doubling down on the industry,” Tentinger said. “We are bringing our capabilities together around the people we serve and making it easier for them to get the support they need, when they need it.”

Ashvin earmarks new funding for prior authorization capabilities

BOSTON – Ashvin has announced a $16.5 million investment led by Co-Founder Mathew Mammen, with participation from key durable medical equipment (DME) industry leaders, to fund new capabilities, starting with prior authorization.

The investment – which Ashvin says follows sixfold revenue growth since it emerged from stealth last year – will also fund an expansion of the company’s reach across the DME market.

“I started out selling medical equipment from my truck, and I know how much of a provider’s day goes to paperwork instead of patients,” said Mammen, who has spent more than 15 years in the DME industry. “Most of what goes wrong with a claim starts at intake, and automating one step of intake doesn’t fix that. We built Ashvin to do all of it, so providers catch problems before an order ships, not months later in a denial or an audit. This investment takes that further, into prior authorization and beyond.”

Ashvin says while most tools automate one part of intake, such as reading faxes or checking eligibility, its solution automates intake end to end, taking each referral from the moment it arrives to a qualified order.

The result, Ashvin says: For some customers, 64% of orders are no-touch orders: qualified orders delivered without anyone on the provider’s staff touching them.

“Before Ashvin, our intake team worked every referral by hand: chasing faxes, calling payers, checking paperwork,” said Joel Gallion, CEO of Bellevue Healthcare, a DME provider serving patients across the Pacific Northwest. “Now most orders come through without anyone touching them, and we’ve reduced denial rates by 32%. That’s why we keep sending Ashvin more of our volume.”

Related reading:

• Ashvin promises holistic tech solutions to challenged DME industry.
• Ashvin builds out executive team.

CMS adjusts start of registration, bidding for Round 2028

WASHINGTON – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will open the bidder registration window for Round 2028 of the DMEPOS competitive bidding program (CBP) on Dec. 1, 2026, and the bid window on Jan. 5, 2027, to give providers additional time to prepare.

Originally, the agency planned to open the bid window later this year.

CMS has also published additional fact sheets and FAQs, as well as request for bid instructions. It has also opened the competitive bidding implementation contractor (CBIC) customer service center.

Go here for the new timeline for Round 2028.

Fla. Medicaid integrity initiative shifts toward prevention

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state’s enhanced Medicaid program integrity efforts to combat fraud, waste and abuse are “delivering results.” In June, DeSantis announced the most significant Medicaid integrity initiative in Florida history, shifting the state away from a “pay-and-chase” model toward preventing fraud before taxpayer dollars are spent. The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) strengthened provider screening and oversight, expanded data analytics and claims monitoring, imposed enrollment moratoriums on certain high-risk provider categories, and launched a statewide revalidation effort for active Medicaid providers. “Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration’s Medicaid integrity initiative is delivering results,” said Governor DeSantis. “This year, we announced the most significant Medicaid integrity initiative in the history of our state, and today, I was proud to announce some of the results from these efforts.” Since January, AHCA has conducted more than 400 provider site visits as part of its heightened program integrity efforts, with particular attention to areas where data and billing patterns have identified heightened risk, including applied behavior analysis (ABA), durable medical equipment (DME) and adult day care. The state says its efforts are already producing results, including more than 260 providers placed on payment restrictions or suspended from receiving payments and more than 220 providers terminated from Florida Medicaid for fraud, waste or abuse.

Henry Schein names new CFO

MELVILLE, N.Y. – Henry Schein, Inc. has announced that Emmanuel Caprais has been named senior vice president and CFO effective Nov. 4, 2026. Caprais, former senior vice president and CFO of ITT, Inc. will join the Henry Schein Leadership Team (HSLT) and report to CEO Frederick M. Lowery. “Emmanuel is a proven financial leader with deep experience in driving operational performance and profitable growth at global businesses,” said Lowery. “His ability to connect financial discipline with business execution will help us accelerate our value creation work and translate our opportunities into sustainable growth. I am pleased to welcome Emmanuel to Team Schein.” Caprais brings more than 25 years of global leadership experience to Henry Schein, with a career spanning finance, operations, strategy, M&A, and investor relations. “I am excited to join Henry Schein, a company with a storied legacy that plays a vital role in delivering healthcare around the world,” said Caprais. “Henry Schein has exciting opportunities to expand market leadership, deliver more for customers, and drive margin expansion, and I look forward to partnering with Fred, the leadership team, and Team Schein Members around the world to help the organization realize its full potential.”

• Related: Henry Schein to change board make-up

Tadrus named new NCPA president

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Christian Tadrus, PharmD, of Moberly, Mo., has been named as 2026-27 president of the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) by its House of Delegates. In addition to owning independent community pharmacies and a direct primary care clinic in rural Missouri, Tadrus has served as president of the Missouri Pharmacy Association, as president and currently as vice-president of the Missouri State Board of Pharmacy, and as an appointee to Missouri’s Joint Oversight Task Force for Prescription Drug Monitoring. In his inaugural speech delivered during the House of Delegates meeting at the NCPA’s annual convention, Tadrus called on his fellow independent pharmacists to be present and active in the rooms where conversations happen about pharmacy practice, regulation, technology, payment and the infrastructure of health care. “Decisions made somewhere else can determine what happens at your counter,” he said. “We know what it is like to unlock the door in the morning, take care of patients, and make payroll. We know where the friction is. We know what our patients need, what our teams face every day, and what it takes to make a pharmacy work.” The NCPA House of Delegates – comprised of pharmacy owners and managers representing their respective states – also elected Brian Hose of Sharpsburg, Md., to be the newest association officer.

Wellspect’s Surity portfolio receives codes

MOLNDAL, Sweden – Wellspect HealthCare has announced that the Surity portfolio, including the Surity Urinary Management System and Surity Female and Male External Catheters, may be covered by traditional Medicare for eligible beneficiaries when medically necessary. The company says this milestone represents an important step in expanding access and reducing barriers to at-home management for people affected by severe urinary incontinence in the U.S. “Medicare reimbursement for the Surity portfolio represents a significant milestone in our efforts to help individuals living with permanent urinary incontinence benefit from modern solutions that can support their day-to-day needs,” said Chris Schlenk, group vice president at Wellspect HealthCare. “For eligible beneficiaries with permanent urinary incontinence, newly established Medicare coding may help reduce barriers to care and expand choice in urinary management. This achievement reflects our ongoing commitment to helping individuals and their caregivers in managing important care needs with solutions designed to support comfort, confidence, and independence.” The Surity portfolio provides non-invasive management solutions for individuals living with urinary incontinence and is designed to make every day urine management more comfortable, discreet and reliable. Coding verification under Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes is A6590 for the Surity Female and Male External Catheters and E2001 for the Surity Urinary Management System.

Motif Medical’s Luna improves output

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Five out of six mothers achieved more milk in less time after six weeks of using Motif Medical’s Luna breast pump, according to a new clinical evaluation. The evaluation looked at Luna's performance on milk output, pumping efficiency, comfort and breast drainage. Findings include:

• 86% found the Luna more comfortable than their previous pump.
• 88% found the Luna quieter than leading breast pump brands.
• 100% reported satisfaction with the Luna's drainage efficiency.

The evaluation builds on research conducted by an independent third-party laboratory in 2019. "Our original Luna study gave us a strong foundation,” said Brandon Fonville, director at Motif Medical. “As moms' needs have changed, we wanted to build on it with new data and real-world feedback. This research confirms what we saw in our earlier study, and it let us hear directly from the moms who rely on Luna every day. Their feedback, along with input from lactation professionals, shapes how we keep improving." The nine-week study included 62 breastfeeding mothers and three practicing International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs). The full findings, including methodology, participant feedback and IBCLC observations, are featured in the Motif Luna Clinical Evidence & Performance White Paper, available at https://motifmedical.com/more-milk-less-time.

Charles Daniel Cottrell receives Dargavel Medal

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Charles Daniel Cottrell has been recognized with the Dargavel Medal, an annual award sponsored by McKesson Corp. that honors an individual whose contributions on behalf of independent pharmacy embody the spirit of leadership and accomplishment personified by John W. Dargavel, who was executive secretary of the National Association of Retail Druggists, now the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA). Cottrell received the award as part of the NCPA Annual Convention held Oct. 3-6 in Kansas City, Mo. Cottrell is sole owner of Medical Center Pharmacy and Flomaton Medical Center Pharmacy, and a partner in 18 additional pharmacies across Alabama and Florida. He has supported the NCPA through 13 years on its legislative committee and 11 years on its PAC committee, and he has served as president and board member of Associated Pharmacies for 15 years. His public service has extended to the Alabama Medicaid Advisory Committee, the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Pharmacy Advisory Committee, the Alabama Workers’ Compensation Advisory Committee and the Alabama Long-Term Care Task Force. His decades of leadership have earned him numerous honors, including the 2009 NCPA Willard B. Simmons Independent Pharmacist of the Year Award.

NCPA Foundation receives grants from Cardinal, Truist

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The NCPA Foundation has received two grants to help it pursue its mission to improve community-based health care by advancing the sustainability, growth and public understanding of independent community pharmacists. The Cardinal Health Foundation has renewed its support with a $50,000 grant to fund the NCPA Foundation’s disaster relief program, which provides emergency assistance to independent pharmacies affected by hurricanes, wildfires and other natural disasters. The renewed funding builds on a partnership that has already helped independent pharmacies recover from significant disruptions, including the NCPA Foundation’s response to Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina, where grant support funded generators for nine pharmacies, Mental Health First Aid certifications for pharmacy staff, community health worker certifications and wellbeing micro-grants for pharmacy teams. “Independent pharmacies are cornerstones of community health, especially when disaster strikes, and their ability to remain operational is crucial to patient well-being,” said Jessie Cannon, president of the Cardinal Health Foundation. “We are proud to renew our support for the NCPA Foundation's vital disaster relief program, which directly empowers these pharmacies to recover quickly and continue serving as essential healthcare access points during critical times.” Additionally, the NCPA Foundation has received a $100,000 grant from Truist Foundation to support its Rural Pharmacy Ownership Accelerator, a program that prepares pharmacists to open, purchase and sustain independent pharmacies in rural communities. This will support the program’s 2026 inaugural cohort through graduation and help to grow recruitment, nurture curriculum and provide technical assistance for the 2027 cohort.

Wandercraft acquires Ekso Bionics

NEW YORK and SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – Wandercraft has acquired Ekso Bionics from a subsidiary of ChronoScale Holdings Corp. The acquisition combines Wandercraft’s expertise in advanced robotics and physical artificial intelligence (AI) and its leadership in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) with Ekso Bionics’ strong presence in the United States, extensive clinical experience and commercial reach. “We share a vision for how robotics can empower people whose mobility has been unfairly limited by injury or disease,” said Matthieu Masselin, CEO and co-founder of Wandercraft. “Both companies have pioneered advanced technologies to help people stand, walk, and participate more fully in everyday life. By bringing together our products, teams, and clinical relationships on both sides of the Atlantic, we have an exceptional opportunity to expand access to robotic mobility worldwide, reach more patients and rehabilitation professionals, and help more people experience the independence and connection that upright mobility can offer.” Wandercraft’s Atalante X and Ekso Bionics’ EksoNR currently support patients with stroke, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis and acquired brain injury in standing and walking at more than 700 rehabilitation centers worldwide. For personal use, Wandercraft’s Eve offers a hands-free, self-balancing technology into the home, while Ekso Bionics’ Indego Personal offers a modular wearable exoskeleton. Wandercraft intends to continue supporting all four products, as well as the customers, clinicians and individuals who rely on them. “Ekso has spent two decades pioneering robotic technologies, advancing engineering and R&D, and building a robust body of clinical research and evidence that has earned the trust of clinicians and the people who rely on our products,” said Scott Davis, CEO of Ekso Bionics. “Joining Wandercraft represents an exciting next chapter, uniting two organizations with a shared commitment to mobility, rehabilitation, and innovation. Together, we can build on that trailblazing work and expand our ability to develop and deploy technologies that make a meaningful difference for more people.”

Related reading:

• Ekso signs first O&P provider for its exoskeleton device.
• Wandercraft signs NSM as exclusive CRT distribution partner for Eve.

Inspire Medical receives CPT code approval for Inspire V

MINNEAPOLIS – Inspire Medical Systems has announced that the American Medical Association (AMA) CPT Editorial Panel has approved a new set of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes that accurately describe and include the Inspire V system. The new Category I codes are scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2028. “This new CPT code language addresses the implantation of a single lead and an implantable pulse generator (IPG) including our recently launched Inspire V system,” said Tim Herbert, chairman and CEO of Inspire. “We appreciate the AMA creating dedicated codes that will create a clearer, more consistent path for coding and reimbursement, which we expect will reduce administrative burden for hospitals and physicians and support continued growth in patient access to Inspire therapy. The application received broad society support with special thanks to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and the Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS), the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and the International Surgical Sleep Society (ISSS) for their support addressing the need to act now to provide a permanent coding solution for the Inspire V system and other single lead hypoglossal nerve stimulation IPG therapies.” With the new codes created, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will conduct its standard process to determine the value for each new CPT code, which determines the payments for that service under Medicare. CMS typically requests the AMA Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC) to review specific codes and evaluate whether physician time, work and expenses for related services have changed over time.

• Related: Inspire received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the Inspire V therapy system in 2024.