Archive: June 2009

MINNEAPOLIS--Otto Bock HealthCare has partnered with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago to establish the Max Nader Laboratory to advance the outcomes of prosthetic and orthotic devices, allowing amputees to regain their mobility, the manufacturer announced in June. Otto Bock has made a five-year commitment of $1.5 million. The lab is named after Dr. Max Nader, who led Otto Bock until 1990.

YARMOUTH, Maine--Providers who have waited until the last minute to seek accreditation by the Sept. 30 deadline have their work cut out. “Our door is still open but the clock is ticking,” said Sandra Canally, president of the Compliance Team. “Whoever signs up at this point needs to do as the accreditor says and do it quickly. There's no time for discussion.” CMS had set a soft application deadline of Jan. 31 to ensure that providers had enough time to complete the process....

BRENTWOOD, Tenn.--American HomePatient recently reported $58.3 million in revenue for the first quarter of 2009 compared to $69.2 million for the same quarter in 2008, a 15.8% decrease. Net loss for the first quarter was $5.2 million compared to a net income of $600,000 for the same quarter last year. American HomePatient blamed the revenue decreases on two things: Medicare reimbursement reductions affecting oxygen and other product lines that went into effect Jan. 1, which reduced revenue by about...

This past May, when President Barack Obama lauded the impact of his administration's $787 billion economic stimulus plan on jobs, many were taken aback to hear a very different methodology used in calculating the nation's employment health. While 539,000 jobs were actually lost in April, causing the national unemployment rate to rise to 8.9%, Obama argued that his stimulus plan was actually working because it had “saved or created 150,000 jobs.” Many of the president's political opponents...

There are “different schools of thought,” sources say, on how to approach creating a separate benefit for complex rehab. One school prefers regulation and working with CMS to develop policy. The other prefers legislation and working with lawmakers to draft and pass a bill. “There's no unanimity at this point,” said Don Clayback, vice president of government relations for The MED Group and part of the executive leadership for NCART. “We're fleshing each one out to see...

YARMOUTH, Maine - When it comes to healthcare reform, the big money seems to be betting against the home medical equipment industry. Certainly a lot has to happen before healthcare reform becomes a reality, but in the early goings, analysts predict that home medical equipment will be one of the big losers. Investor research group Wachovia Capital Markets released a report this week that surveyed its clients on healthcare reform. In one section, 60 large investors said they expected health insurers,...

Q. My facility isn't retail friendly. Are there other ways to increase my non-Medicare business? A. With national competitive bidding affecting many providers, expanding your non-Medicare business has become a greater priority. Retail is certainly one option to increase cash sales. But while it fits with the “traditional” business models for our industry, it may not fit well with your location, community or current product mix. Now is the time to re-evaluate or perhaps redefine what business...

WASHINGTON - The draft healthcare reform plan recently released by the House of Representatives isn't all bad, industry stakeholders say. To help reduce fraud and abuse, it would require HME providers to have compliance programs. "This would be a great way to raise the bar for the industry," said Georgie Blackburn, vice president of government relations and legislative affairs for Tarentum, Pa.-based Blackburn's, which implemented a compliance program 10 years ago. "Why would business owners, in...

WASHINGTON--A Senate Finance Committee report released May 18 outlined options for financing healthcare reform and named HME reimbursement as a possible revenue source. But it did not propose specific cuts. The report, “Financing Comprehensive Health Care Reform: Proposed Health System Savings and Revenue Options,” has left industry stakeholders uncertain. “They've left themselves wide open to do anything they want to do,” said Cara Bachenheimer, senior vice president of government...

Q. How do I comply with the Federal Trade Commission's new “Red Flags Rule,” which goes into effect Aug. 1? A. This rule is based on the perception that healthcare providers may have opportunities in their day-to-day operations to discover the “red flags” of identity theft. Some healthcare providers, therefore, may be subject to this rule, which requires that providers develop identity theft prevention programs. Your organization is required to comply with the Red Flags Rule...