News


NSM Picks Up Scooters N More

Acquisition adds northern Indiana mobility and accessibility provider that is also approved to serve several VA facilities.

Rep. Hinson Visits VGM

New lawmaker serving Iowa's first district meets with VGM leadership as well as VGM Government relations team.

CMS Releases Round 2021 Bid Data

The Round 2021 bids show increases for lead items in most areas compared to the 2020 fee schedule, while bids for non-lead items show mixed results. CMS opted not to award contracts for 13 categories in late October.

AAHomecare Surveying Supplier Costs

Effort aims to track how suppliers’ costs have changed during events such as COVID-19, which is important given that DMEPOS rates are essentially frozen at 2016 levels. Deadline is Feb. 5.

Hart Medical Equipment Acquires McLaren Home Medical Equipment

Acquisition helps Hart expand coverage in Michigan, while leveraging additional scale to benefit its partners, referrals and customers

AAHomecare Seeks Washington Legislative Conference Feedback

Association has posted a quick online survey to gauge what the industry would like to do for the event. Deadline is Jan. 29.

OPGA Redesigns its Website

Orthotic and Prosthetic Group of America aims to help its online visitors find information more easily and includes a members-only portal.

VGM Unveils Moxie

New marketing services company blends three VGM business units: VGM Marketing, VGM Events and Hellman, a marketing agency acquired by VGM in 2018.

CMS Gives TennCare More Flexibility in Serving Beneficiaries

Under the new “block grant” waiver, the Tennessee Medicaid program will be able to service patients with less federal oversight. CMS approved the waiver for 10 years.

VGM Conducts New Delivery Cost Survey

A follow-up to its 2018 effort, the survey helps tabulate the cost of provisioning HME products and services. This new effort aims at understanding how COVID-19 has changed that cost structure.



UnitedHealthcare Extends COVID-19 Prior Auth. Suspensions

The extension pushes the previous expiration date from Jan. 8 to Jan. 31 and United noted that it includes oxygen can be delivered without prior authorization.

Industry's Hard Fought Oxygen Win

AAHomecare's Ryan reflects on four-year advocacy effort to change the budget-neutrality cuts that hurt providers and users of oxygen equipment and services in rural areas.

BOC Announces 2021 Executive Committee and New Board Member

Angela Smalley, Ph.D., BOCPD, COF, brings to the board more than five years’ experience in the O&P profession, as well as knowledge of the latest advancements in medtech.

Numotion Acquires Wheeler’s Medical Supply

Move adds additional resources and expertise to Numotion's medical supplies business, which offers catheters, incontinence, ostomy, and advanced wound care products.

VGM Group Acquires Content Management Company

Buy brings tools and systems used to manage, store and disseminate key corporate communications and information to the member service group's portfolio.

HME High Rollers: Medtrade Spring Returns to Vegas

Show Director Mark Lind sits down with HME Business Podcast to chat about some of the highlights at the March 3-5 event.

Medicare's 2020 Fee Schedule Sees Gains

Reimbursement for various DMEPOS items and several categories will see a 1.6 percent to 2.4 percent gain.

Senate Passes Manual CRT Protections

Upper chamber approves spending bill containing provisions that protect Manual CRT wheelchairs and accessories from competitive bidding. Bill goes to President to be signed into law.

House Upvotes Spending Bill Containing CRT Language

House up-votes spending package, which protects manual CRT wheelchairs and accessories. Now the appropriations bill, which must pass by Dec. 20, moves to the Senate. Providers still need to help the effort.

Podcast

Your Action Plan for the Dec. 20 HME Advocacy Push

Providers have until Dec. 20 to gain co-sponsors for industry legislation that could get attached to a year-end spending bill. What do they need to do?

CMS Requests Comments from Public for Bidding Survey

The agency is requesting comments on how it should conduct a survey of DMEPOS stakeholders about its competitive bidding program. Deadline is Dec. 20, but AAHomecare has offered resources to help stakeholders act fast.

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Glooko Receives 13485:2016 Certification For California and Sweden Sites

The remote monitoring platform for diabetes patients passed audits of its corporate quality management system this year.

Podcast

HME Retail Pro-Tips — from a Retail Pro

In the latest HME Business Podcast episode, Retail-only mobility and HME provider Wayne Slavitt of Mobül: The Mobility Store shares some strategic insights into how providers can become cash sales success stories.

CBIC Releases Round 2021 Preliminary Bid Evaluations

If a provider receives a PBE letter that identifies any deficiencies, it must respond to the PBE in Connexion by Dec. 17.

Early Rates for Medtrade Spring Expire Dec. 7

Providers urged to take advantage of deals on attending the March 3-5 conference and exposition at Las Vegas’s Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

HME Business Podcast