Tag: Maui wildfires
As natural disasters increase, so do out-of-pocket costs
September 1, 2023Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
WASHINGTON – With weather-related disasters seemingly more frequent and extreme, the HME industry remains frustrated that CMS doesn’t acknowledge the increased costs to DMEPOS suppliers, stakeholders say.
A day after Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Florida, CMS announced flexibilities for affected residents needing HME; it followed the same pattern in the days after wildfires devastated Maui in August. But providers – who go above and beyond – often do so at their...
‘It very quickly becomes very real’
August 23, 2023Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
KAHULUI, Hawaii – Within 24 hours of Maui’s devastating wildfires, Gammie HomeCare was at evacuation shelters to donate home medical equipment to residents who have lost everything.
The wildfires, which began Aug. 8, scorched more than 3,000 acres, and left thousands homeless and, at press time, more than 100 dead, with more than 850 people still unaccounted for.
“You shift very quickly from being an HME provider to just, you’re a human being and concerned...