Tag: Budget
In brief: Oxygen adjustment, in-person visits, PromptCare sale, Glooko’s raise
March 19, 2021HME News Staff
WASHINGTON – CMS has published an adjusted fee schedule for oxygen therapy for April 2021 that no longer includes a percentage reduction to meet the budget neutrality requirement.
The adjustments result in an increase in fee schedule amounts ranging from $6.72 to $8.19 in former competitive bidding areas; $5.17 to $5.43 in other non-rural areas; and $4.14 to $6.82 in non-contiguous and rural areas, according to the VGM Group.
The fee schedule amounts are not retroactive...
HHS budget proposes bid process for rural areas
February 13, 2018HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - The budget for the Department of Health and Human Services for fiscal year 2019 proposes two tweaks to Medicare's competitive bidding program for DME.
First, HHS proposes eliminating the requirement that CMS pay a single payment amount based on the median bid amount and, instead, pay contract suppliers at their own bid amounts. Second, the agency proposes expanding the actual bidding process to all areas of the country, including rural areas.
“Expanding competitive bidding...
In brief: President touts bidding, Brightree seeks buyer
February 12, 2016HME News Staff
WASHINGTON - The president's proposed federal budget for fiscal year 2017 includes a provision to expand Medicare's competitive bidding to new product categories.
The budget proposes that inhalation drugs; all prosthetics and orthotics; and ostomy, tracheostomy and urological supplies, all be included in the program.
“Since implementation, the competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, and supplies has saved the Medicare program and beneficiaries billions...
Finance: Create budgets to predict outcome
April 23, 2012Tom Shay
A. In a word: budget. Every business should be working with 12 budgets which represent the next 12 months. The monthly budget is your prediction of what that month's income statement is going to look like. Row by row, you are estimating what the numbers will be. You begin with your revenue; estimate your gross margin and every expense.
The accuracy of the budget is determined by your ability to utilize your previous income statements as guidance. Let's use April as an example. Now is a...
California: Medi-Cal avoids cuts, but it's likely temporary
November 23, 2010Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A state budget hammered out in October didn't contain cuts to the DME benefit, but stakeholders know the relief could be short-lived.
The budget was signed into law Oct. 8, nearly four months into the state's fiscal year and about a month after the state's health care fund ran out of money, halting Medi-Cal payments to providers.
"It's an overly optimistic document that will not take us through the current fiscal year," said Bob Achermann, executive...
Missouri
July 22, 2010Liz Beaulieu, Editor
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The state's Medicaid program made the following offer to HME providers in June: Come up with a way to slash $4.8 million from your budget and we won't reduce reimbursement to 80% of the Medicare allowable.
Providers knew a deal when they saw one. They proceeded to propose cutting reimbursement for stationary oxygen concentrators to $90 per month and increasing reimbursement for portable oxygen concentrators to $150 per month, a move that would cut about $2.5 million from its...
Muscular Dystrophy Association cuts where it hurts
January 29, 2010Liz Beaulieu, Editor
I read this story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution today about the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) cutting its $6-million-a-year wheelchair program due to a decrease in donations and a poor return on its investments, both results of the poor economy. The MDA used to provide grants of up to $2,000 for wheelchairs. Now people like 27-year-old Joey Feltner, who called the MDA after his manual wheelchair was stolen recently, can't afford a replacement.
In addition to cutting its wheelchair...