Viewpoints
ABM Respiratory Care to scale US sales efforts
June 22, 2026HME News Staff
EAGAN, Minn. – ABM Respiratory Care has successfully closed its Series B financing round, raising $14.8 million – well above its $12 million target.
The funds will be used to accelerate the commercialization of BiWaze Clear, ABM's latest airway clearance system designed for both hospital and home use. This includes scaling U.S. sales efforts, investing in clinical research, and enhancing patient engagement and digital health capabilities.
"This investment marks a pivotal...
Medline works to expand delivery capacity
June 22, 2026HME News Staff
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...
MiniMed launches Flex insulin pump in US
June 22, 2026HME News Staff
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...
Newtn Digital debuts platform to modernize DME workflow
June 22, 2026HME News Staff
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...
Taking stock: Challenges, yes – but also progress
June 22, 2026Liz Beaulieu, Editor
When Managing Editor Theresa Flaherty and I sat down to brainstorm ideas for the cartoon for the June issue, we made a conscious decision to steer clear of the usual suspects: Medicare, CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, and the industry’s ongoing regulatory pressure points – competitive bidding, supplier moratoriums, fraud.
Those topics have fueled more than a few recent cartoons, and for good reason. But this month, we wanted to take a step back.
Instead, we landed on another...
Providers didn’t ask for it, but it’s here
June 22, 2026Liz Beaulieu, Editor
Going into Medtrade in March, I assumed the biggest topics of conversation would be CMS’s next round of competitive bidding and its new moratorium on new supplier numbers.
Those issues were certainly discussed, but by far the most dominant – and most charged – topic on the show floor was the accelerating use of benefits managers and third‑party administrators to manage durable medical equipment products and services.
Just prior to Medtrade, we published a story on BlueCross...
Association leaders use State Summit to align TPA response
June 19, 2026HME News Staff
WATERLOO, Iowa - VGM’s recent State Leader Summit gave association leaders something they rarely get: A chance to sit in the same room at a moment when the home medical equipment (HME) industry needs a coordinated response to the accelerating shift to third-party administrators (TPAs).
In recent months, insurers in states from Tennessee to Washington state have tapped TPAs to manage their HME benefit.
“Currently, we've got the third-party administrator piece floating through...
New therapies challenge CPAP, but providers aren’t shifting yet
June 19, 2026Liz Beaulieu, Editor
YARMOUTH, Maine – There may be an increasing number of options to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but CPAP remains the top choice, say 68% of respondents to a recent HME Newspoll.
“The sleep apnea treatment landscape is becoming increasingly diverse, which is good news for patients,” wrote one respondent. “New options, such as oral appliances, implantable devices and emerging medications may help people who struggle with CPAP therapy. That said, CPAP remains the gold...
AAHomecare throws weight behind Medicare Advantage reforms
June 19, 2026HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – AAHomecare has sent letters of support to the sponsors of legislation in the House and Senate that would reform Medicare Advantage prior authorization, claims integrity and transparency.
In its letters to Rep. John Joyce, R-Pa., and Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., the organization shared how the bills would address challenges that home medical equipment (HME) providers face daily and would improve access to medical necessary equipment for Medicare beneficiaries.
“These...
CRT providers wrangle with repairs and prior auth exemption
June 19, 2026Liz Beaulieu, Editor
WATERLOO, Iowa – Complex rehab technology (CRT) providers continue to face persistent challenges with documentation and billing for wheelchair repairs, according to Dan Fedor of U.S. Rehab, who addressed the issue at the recent VGM Heartland Conference.
Fedor, director of reimbursement and education for U.S. Rehab, a division of VGM & Associates, said repairs remain one of the most common operational pain points for providers – accounting for roughly 30% of his daily communications...