Tag: Compliance
Accreditation stakes are high under new rule
June 26, 2026Liz Beaulieu, Editor
WATERLOO, Iowa – A new accreditation guide from VGM & Associates and the Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation (HQAA) is well-timed, with reports of home medical equipment (HME) providers falling short in their resurveys under a new Medicare rule that requires 100% compliance on all standards starting this year.
Depending on their accreditation timeline, providers who fail to meet the standard risk a lapse in accreditation followed by a temporary revocation of their provider transaction...
VGM guide provides clear path to accreditation readiness
June 15, 2026HME News Staff
WATERLOO, Iowa – VGM & Associates has released a comprehensive accreditation guide, a practical, all-in-one resource designed to help VGM members streamline accreditation preparation and build a more consistent, repeatable approach to compliance. Developed in partnership with the Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation (HQAA), the guide provides step-by-step guidance across the full accreditation cycle – from pre-survey preparation to accreditation day and post-visit corrections...
BOC appoints compliance lead
July 28, 2025HME News Staff
OWINGS MILLS, Md. - The Board of Certification/Accreditation (BOC) has appointed Tina Culbreth, CHC, CCEP, CHPC, CDME, as director of compliance to oversee its compliance and accreditation operations. In this role, she will provide strategic oversight of business activities like accreditation eligibility reviews, corrective action processes and surveyor communications. She will also collaborate with internal teams and stakeholders to enhance process efficiency and ensure alignment with CMS requirements...
Medtrade preview: Dive into e-commerce – compliantly
January 24, 2025Theresa Flaherty
DALLAS – When it comes to launching an e-commerce site, Medtrade speaker Cassi Price sees a lot of hesitation from HME providers who don’t understand how they can do it compliantly.
Price, president of VGM Forbin, says she wants to pull back the curtain on best practices during her session, “Navigating Compliance in Ecommerce: A Roadmap for Online Retail Success in the Healthcare Industry,” which she will co-present with Kelly Grahovac of the van Halem Group.
HME...
Billing: Invest in compliance
November 13, 2024Kit Shellhouse
Q. What steps can I take to prepare for audits under managed care contracts?
By Kit Shellhouse
A. As a provider, preparing for audits under managed care contracts can be a chore, but the key is to understand the requirements and expectations well in advance. Invest time in reviewing your managed care contracts to grasp all requirements, including billing procedures, documentation standards and compliance obligations. This foundational knowledge is crucial for staying well-informed...
Accreditation/Compliance: Know these seven elements
August 5, 2024Mary Ellen Conway
Q. I am new to DME compliance. Where should I get started?
A. The first place you should start is to make sure your company follows the federally mandated Seven Element Compliance Plan.
1. Implement written policies, procedures and standards of conduct. Most likely your company has effective policies and procedures in place, along with clearly stated standards of conduct in your employee handbook. Review them all to ensure that they are clear and concise.
2. Designate a compliance officer...
VGM offers outsourced clinical service
August 15, 2023HME News Staff
WATERLOO, Iowa – VGM & Associates has officially launched Sleep Services, a CPAP setup and compliance program that aims to create relationships with patients for ongoing care and success, the company says. The program comprises no-touch delivery, onboarding, patient setup, compliance and post-compliance monitoring. “This program helps our members with staffing, revenue and patient compliance,” the company says. “By using Sleep Services as their outsourced clinical service,...
Legal: Tailor your compliance program
January 16, 2023Michael Silverman
Q. As we dive into 2023, what steps can my Medicare-enrolled HME business take to aid in regulatory compliance?
A. While most HME businesses are aware of the “low hanging fruit” of ongoing regulatory compliance obligations – such as timely updating Medicare enrollment applications (855S), checking employees/contractors against federal exclusion lists, and staying updated on licensure requirements – many do not have written policies and procedures in place detailing how...
CPAP therapy has become less efficient
April 8, 2022Theresa Flaherty
YARMOUTH, Maine – With HME providers struggling to obtain CPAP devices, payers should consider suspending compliance requirements, they argue.
Current Medicare guidelines call for patients to use their CPAP machines for at least four hours per night at least 70% of the time within any given time frame.
“It’d be great if they did, but I don’t have much hope any payer is going to,” said Woody O’Neal, vice president of Pelham, Ala.-based O2 Neal...
Medical Service Company creates pathway to compliance
November 23, 2021Theresa Flaherty
ATLANTA – With 70% of patient outreach calls going to “voice mail hell,” Medical Service Company knew it needed to revamp its PAP adherence program to boost patient engagement and compliance, and create better efficiencies.
So, the company set out to create an automated, scalable program using not only voice calls but also texts and emails, based on preference, to assess patients and evaluate factors that affect outcomes.
“So much of our process was to ask...