Funding


TRICARE Awards Eastern Contract to Humana

Humana issues ‘welcome’ statement to providers; military insurance program moving to two regions this year.

States, AAHomecare Study Response to Bid Pricing for Medicaid

Component of recently approved CURES Act limits Federal portion of Medicaid spending to competitive bidding prices for affected DME items, starting 2018.

Q4 Audit Survey Starts Jan. 16

HME Audit Key program urges providers to submit their audit data for Q4 2016; program helps industry better understand audits and advocate reforms.

AAHomecare Convenes Hi Tech Work Group

Group will examine how new technologies for creating new care and reimbursement models.

bflow Integrates A/R Allegiance

Users of HME billing and management system will now have access to automated payment collections.

U.S. Health Spending Up 5.8%

Per-capita healthcare expenditures grow 5%, according to CMS’s 2015 national health expenditures study. The pace of spending growth was generally down from pervious years.

Observation Deck

Billing Non-Assigned

More providers are electing to be non-participating. What are the details?

Medicare Claims: Minimizing Your Audit Exposure

DME Pharmacy

Medicare Claims: Minimizing Your Audit Exposure

Pharmacies selling Medicare reimbursable DME items will eventually be audited. We examine how to protect your claims and how documentation helps minimize your risk of having a claim recouped.

DME Pharmacy

Fostering Good Documentation Practices

Accreditation helps DME pharmacies put the right documentation policies and procedures in place.

HHS OIG Unveils 2017 Work Plan

The plan includes 10 DMEPOS-related investigations, including reports on nebulizers, power wheelchairs, and PAP therapy devices.



CMS Final Rule Covers Key Bidding Elements

New rule bases bid ceilings on 2015 unadjusted fee schedule; lowers surety bond to $50K per CBA bid.

Industry Vets Unveil HME Workflow System

VirtuteRN will provide a cloud-based system designed to help providers diversify their payer mix.

Third Audit Key Survey Opens October 15

Providers urged to add their audit data to help demonstrate audit program’s burdensome nature.

Problem Solvers

RAC Audits Version 2: Time to Prepare

As new RAC auditors are coming on board, the instances of RAC audits will increase. Providers must have their ducks in a row.

Future of HME

Business Solutions

Paving HME's Path

Each fall we turn to the members of HMEB's editorial advisory board to gain their insights into the trends, obstacles, challenges and opportunities that providers should consider as they shape their business strategies for the next several months. This year, many of the board members are telling us that the future will likely be what providers make of it.

Audit Denials Increased 6% from Q4 2015 to Q2 2016

Latest HME Audit Key report shows increase audit activity; AAHomecare urges providers to share their data.

CMS Revises CMS-855S, 2016 Fee Schedule

DMEPOS providers must use revised enrollment application starting Jan. 1, 2017; fee schedule changes impact 66 codes.

Ripple Effect: Bid Expansion Leads to Stiff Funding Cuts Outside Medicare

Providers serving TRICARE patients are now feeling the effect of CMS’s July 1 implementation of the full bid expansion cuts; patient access hangs in the balance.

AAHomecare Continues Call for Provider Data

Providers urged to participate in the DME Cost Study and 2Q Audit Key survey to bolster industry’s case for bidding, audit reforms.

Observation Deck

Optimizing the Handling of Faxes

Still an everyday reality of healthcare, facsmiles can be mishandled by even the most efficient provider. How can efaxing help fix the problem?

HME Business Podcast