Archive: November 2018

WASHINGTON - CMS has extended a comment period for its plans to add new product categories to the competitive bidding program. The agency will now accept comments through Dec. 17. CMS included the new categories—ventilators and off-the-shelf knee and back braces—in a recent final rule. The proposal caught the industry by surprise and the inclusion of vents, in particular, has stakeholders concerned. AAHomecare has formed a ventilator workgroup to develop comments to the proposal. The...

“We believe we're on the cusp of another 2012,” said Dexter Braff, president of The Braff Group, during a webcast last week on the M&A outlook for HME. What happened in 2012? According to The Braff Group: The number of HME deals jumped to 107, up from 71 in 2011 and 59 in 2010; and the number of private equity deals also jumped to 10, up from four in 2011 and 2010. 2012 was also the year after CMS kicked off its competitive bidding program in the country's largest cities...

While we can all appreciate the importance of getting a good night's sleep, we know there are millions of people who need assistance catching some “ZZZs.” Age, obesity and a greater public awareness of the importance of sleep has led to a steadily growing number of Americans who are tested and treated for sleep apnea.In fact, a recent studyconvened by ResMed found that sleep apnea affects nearly 1 billion people worldwide. With so many people affected, treatment is moving out of the specialized...

ST. LOUIS - Responsive Respiratory has upgraded its custom logo regulator offering to include a free pocket duration guide with purchase. All standard and high-flow regulators purchased with a custom engraved logo will now include the new cylinder duration card at no charge in every box, the company says. “The pocket duration card was developed as a result of RRI's Customer Feedback Initiatives and addresses one of the primary concerns for oxygen users: How long will my cylinder last,”...

ATLANTA - Much like HME providers, The Compliance Team has had to reinvent itself over the years. The Spring House, Pa.-based accrediting organization, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, has diversified into different post-acute care markets and launched additional products, including the new Exemplary Provider designation for Patient-Centered Respiratory Home, and in the process grown to 35 employees. Here's what Sandra Canally, the only woman to own an accrediting organization, had...

In our beautiful, small and mostly rural (except by CMS standards) state of West Virginia, we periodically endure floods, snowstorms and high winds resulting in power outages. Thankfully, West Virginia did not receive the bad weather that at one point was forecasted during Hurricane Florence, but our colleagues in the Carolinas did and they are still suffering from the storm.I think it is important during times like these to remind our friends in Congress and at CMS of the important role local home...

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. - Olivia Patton, chief compliance officer for Verus Healthcare, recently wrote a dissertation analyzing the financial stability of a Medicare respiratory contract supplier.HME News spoke to Patton about her findings and how HME providers can remain in business despite reimbursement cuts.HME News: Why did you choose to research this topic?Olivia Patton: DME providers are going out of business left and right, and what I wanted to know is, how do you actually stay financially...

Technology may not be the first word that springs to mind in reference to the incontinence, skin and wound care market, but perhaps its time that it took front and center. Innovations in connected care and therapeutic materials are becoming prominent in the category and offer viable applications for HME providers.One option for the incontinence segment just launched in September: the DFree portable bladder monitor from San Diego-based Triple W. The wearable product detects bladder volume levels and...

BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. - Reliable Medical Supply has grown organically to four locations in Minnesota, but with an outside investor now on board, it has set its sights on expanding through acquisition into new geographical markets.The first area of focus for the company, whose top product categories are complex rehab and vents: buying another company that will allow it to better serve patients in western Wisconsin.“There are patient access issues out there,” said Debra Kalk, president...

ATLANTA - Brightree has added a patient engagement tool to the toolboxes of its HME provider customers.At Medtrade in October, the company debuted Patient Hub by Brightree, a mobile app that automates and simplifies how providers connect with their patients. It had the app on display at its booth on a jumbo-sized smart phone that Steve Rogers, vice president, product management, dubbed “phonezilla.”“We wanted to give providers a tool where they could communicate where people communicate...