Archive: November 2015

WASHINGTON - The new fee schedule amounts released by CMS this week for non-bid areas include major reductions for accessories for complex rehab wheelchairs, according to NCART. Executive Director Don Clayback urges stakeholders to use the new pricing as a talking point with members of Congress to drum up support for bills in the House of Representatives and the Senate that would provide a technical correction preventing CMS from applying competitive bidding pricing to these accessories on Jan. 1....

A. As an HME provider you know that revenue is critical to your business. You also know that every activity that you or your staff engages in has a cost. Yet while HME providers typically know their product costs down to the penny, activity costs can be quite another matter. So when a new revenue opportunity comes along there is a huge temptation to price to win the business without taking all of one's cost into account. Of course, new business is exciting but that excitement can wear off quickly...

A. Brand evangelists are your business's greatest fans. They not only purchase your products and services, but spread your message throughout their circles of influence. They log onto Facebook and Twitter to gush about positive experiences they had at your store, share photos of your products on Instagram and submit 5-star ratings on Google and Yelp.Brand evangelists believe in what you do, value what you stand for and can propel you to a new level of success. Additionally, brand evangelists can...

INDIANAPOLIS - The Office of Inspector General is not satisfied with National Government Services' progress in preventing overpayments for diabetic test strips.The OIG found that NGS, the DME MAC for Jurisdiction B, made payments to suppliers for dispensed strips when the beneficiaries had not nearly exhausted previously dispensed strips by different suppliers, resulting in overpayments of about $3.2 million in 2013.“NGS stated (in response to a previous review in 2007) that it was in the process...

TROY, Ala. - When provider Jason Jones wanted to honor a deceased co-worker, he did so in a way that combined his two greatest passions: work and clean water.Mike Marler, a delivery tech for Jones Medical Supply, died of cancer in 2012. His employer recently donated a well in his name to a village in India.The $3,000 donation, which covered the cost of the well, its construction and its upkeep, comes from an event called WOD (Workout of the Day) for Water, which Jones co-founded. Every...

STUART, Fla. - Liberator Medical got a “strong price” when it sold to C.R. Bard recently, analysts say. Bard, a manufacturer of medical devices for vascular, urology, oncology and surgical specialty fields, agreed to pay $181 million for the provider of home medical supplies, including catheters, ostomy, diabetes and mastectomy. “That's a very strong price for sure,” said Rick Glass, president of Steven Richards & Associates. “Without a distributor or middleman...

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia - ResMed Halifax will earn a rebate of up to $787,500 over five years from the province of Halifax if it creates 40 new jobs, according to Nova Scotia Business. ResMed acquired the Halifax-based Umbian in 2012 and renamed it ResMed Halifax. Umbian is the developer of U-Sleep, a web-based software solution to track CPAP usage by long haul truckers.

WASHINGTON - CMS last week released revised fee schedule amounts for 11 product categories in non-bid areas as part of its upcoming national roll out of competitive bid pricing on Jan. 1, 2016. CMS has developed fee schedule amounts for non-bid areas in two ways: the average pricing in the competitive bidding areas in the region for regional areas; and the national weighted average plus 10% for rural areas. For oxygen concentrators, for example, that means a 24% reduction in reimbursement,...

Editor's note: Previously, we ran stories about former Numotion exec Paul Bergantino and National Seating & Mobility getting into this market. This week, we look at what it means when complex rehab's biggest names get into a market full force. YARMOUTH, Maine - Even with two of complex rehab's biggest names entering the home accessibility market, HME consultant Bill Stelzer says there's more than enough business for everyone. In October, National Seating & Mobility launched...

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. - OptumRx's recent purchase of home infusion services provider AxelaCare Health Solutions gives the pharmacy benefit manager a platform for a more integrated model, say analysts. “OptumRx already has a specialty component and this gives them the infusion component, as well,” said Reg Blackburn, managing director of specialty pharmacy and infusion services for The Braff Group. OptumRx is part of healthcare giant UnitedHealth Group. Other buys by the company...