HME News is the monthly business newspaper for home medical equipment providers. This controlled circulation publication reaches 17,100 home medical equipment services providers, including traditional HME dealers & suppliers, hospital- and pharmacy-o
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VOLUME 21 — NUMBER 5 MAY 2015 $7.00 HME NEWS POLL ■ The need for grassroots action is stronger than ever, says Wayne Stanfi eld. See page 11. ■ Product Spotlight: This month we feature billing systems and services like TeamDME! XL. See page 23. ■ What's your compliance rate for CPAP therapy? What technology have you leveraged to improve compliance? See results on page 27. N E W S ■ Make branding emotional. PAGE 4 S M A RT TA L K ■ This month our columnists tackle legal issues and more. PAGES 12-13 C O M M E N TA RY ■ New research suggests that air-cell- based technology makes a big difference for those with pressure ulcers, says ROHO's Kara Kopplin. PAGE 11 D E PA RT M E N T S PROVIDERS ■ Univita secures credit. PAGE 14 ■ ACA has minimal impact. PAGE 14 MOBILITY ■ Lawmakers circulate letter. PAGE 17 ■ Labor Tracker eases repairs. PAGE 19 RX & SPECIALTY PROVIDERS ■ O&P; bill introduced. PAGE 20 ■ GWP expands into Washington. PAGE 20 VENDORS ■ Pride rounds out exec team. PAGE 24 ■ Melio launches in US. PAGE 24 W W W . H M E N E W S . C O M Optimism soars for bill To niche or not to niche? Report: CMS could save millions in interest payments for O&P; services if it allowed providers to keep their money until ALJ rules on appeals B A C K L O G S E E PA G E 2 6 BY THERESA FLAHERTY, Managing Editor WASHINGTON – Industry stakehold- ers claimed another victory in March when the House of Rep- resentatives passed a permanent "doc fi x" bill that contained bind- ing bids language. "Lawmakers wanted to be sure H.R. 284 gets passed into law," said Cara Bachenheimer, senior BY THERESA FLAHERTY, Managing Editor P ROVIDERS HAVE long debated whether it's best to specialize or diversify, but these days, the 800-pound gorilla that is Medicare is driv- ing those decisions, they say. "It would be great from a patient care standpoint to be specialized," said Woody O'Neal, vice president of Pel- ham, Ala.-based O2 Neal Medical. "But I don't think the market is going to allow that. The market doesn't value it as much as it used to." C a s e i n point: Prior to the imple- mentation of the competitive bidding program, O'Neal's company was about 85% respi- ratory. These days, it's split 50-50 between respiratory and BY THERESA FLAHERTY, Managing Editor WASHINGTON – The years-long delay in the appeals process at the administrative law judge level is costly for both providers and CMS, says a new report. More than half of claims are overturned on appeal and when they are, CMS must pay interest back to providers, according to the American Orthotic & Pros- thetic Association, which com- missioned the report. "This is a crisis that should never have happened," said Charles Dankmeyer, president of BY LIZ BEAULIEU, Editor GOLETA, Calif. – Inogen's investiga- tion into its accounting practices could be representatives of the potential "landmines" manufac- turers face when selling direct to consumers, industry watchers say. Billing Medicare for products and services provided to benefi - Flat Shelly Shelly Prial was unable to attend Medtrade Spring in Las Vegas, March 30-April 1. But thanks to some creativity from show organizers, he was there in spirit, including at AAHomecare's Washington Legislative Update. ciaries is a whole different ball- game than billing HME providers for products sold, they say. "Here's a manufacturer who thinks they can bill Medicare," said Rick Glass, president of Ste- ven Richards & Associates. "How many providers do we know have been billing Medicare for years and have signifi cant problems? That's the logical reason for their issues." Inogen announced on March 12 that it was delaying reporting its fourth quarter and year-end earnings because management discovered "certain potential accounting matters" during the fi rst quarter of 2015, prompting vice president of govern- ment relations for Inva- care. "Assuming the Sen- ate passes the 'doc fix,' the binding bids bill will pass." Previously, the House on March 16 voted unanimously to pass H.R. 284, which would require binding bids and proof of licensure. The Senate planned to take up the "doc fi x" or SGR bill after the two-week Eas- ter recess, which began March 26. "More Democrats in the Senate have come out in support of the 'doc fi x,'" said Bachenheimer. "I am increasingly optimistic that it's going to happen." Industry stakeholders have been New, improved complex rehab bill See story page 17 GREAT DEBATE What's the hold up at Inogen? Earnings delayed Inogen fi led a Form 12b-25 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to give it an extra 15 days to fi le a Form 10-K. Due to an ongoing internal investiga- tion into potential violations of accounting policies, Inogen was unable to fi le the form by the March 31 deadline. 'Monster backlog' takes toll on gov't AOPA. "We need to fi x this in a way that saves the government money on needless interest pay- ments and allows small provid- ers to avoid being crushed by the system." The report by Dobson DaVanzo and Associates found that CMS could save an estimated $7.5 mil- lion in interest payments for O&P; services and an estimated $12.4 million in interest payments for all Part B services over 10 years if the agency allowed providers to keep their money until the ALJ rules on their appeals. B I D B I L L S E E PA G E 7 D E B AT E S E E PA G E 1 5 I N O G E N S E E PA G E 2 5 Gary Sheehan COMPETITIVE BIDDING T H E B U S I N E S S N E W S P A P E R F O R H O M E M E D I C A L E Q U I P M E N T P R O V I D E R S