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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PAGE 20 PAGE 20 ■ VGM helps providers diversify. PAGE 20 W H E E L C H A I R A C C E S S O R I E S PA G E X X W W W . H M E N E W S . C O M p roduct s potlight Compass Health Brands r o SC oe Pe DI atr IC o 2 r egu L ator S ■ Click-style flow control; multiple liter flow options up to 4 liters per minute. ■ Lightweight, compact design. ■ Limited lifetime warranty. www.compasshealthbrand.com 26 www.hmenews.com / s eptember 2017 / hme news Oxygen Precision Medical, Inc. e a S yD I a L Pe DI atr IC o xyge N r egu L ator ■ Compact and lightweight: It is only 4.25 inches long and weighs 7.8 ounces. ■ Safety is built in. The Easy Dial Reg features a built-in pressure relief valve, as well as a protected contents gauge. ■ Low flow: Two low-flow pediatric models, 0-4,000 ml/min and 0-4 L minute. www.precisionmedical.com Complete Medical Supplies K N o W y our o 2 Mr. bL ue b ear Pe DI atr IC F IN gert IP Pu LS e o x IM eter ■ Fun, child- friendly appearance. ■ Small size and lightweight design will not put too much pressure on a child's finger. ■ Pulse oximeter comes with protective rubber boot, carry case, lanyard and batteries. www.completemedical.com Alex Orthopedic Pe DI atr IC Foa M Cerv IC a L Co LL ar ■ 2-inch wide medium firm foam. ■ Natural stockinette cover with hook and loop closure. ■ Removable, washable cover. www.alexorthopedic.com Convaid r 82 Wo M bat L I v IN g ■ An activity chair for toddlers through young adulthood comes in three sizes. ■ Provides all features and accessories needed for a functional ability chair. ■ Height-adjustable frame with anterior tilt ease standing transfer. www.convaid.com Circadiance NeoP a P ■ Sophisticated CPAP delivery and treatment system. ■ Developed to treat newborns and infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) or who are recovering from RDS. ■ Three modes of therapy: CPAP, flow, resuscitation. http://circadiance.com/neopap/ Disposables Nebulizers Compass Health Brands r o SC oe Pe DI atr IC Nebu LIZ er Co MP re SS or Sy S te MS ■ Child-friendly design helps to reduce anxiety. ■ Includes compressor, nebulizer, mouthpiece, mask, tubing, extra filters, manual. ■ Maximum compressor pressure: 25 to 42 psi; typical operating pressure: 8 to 13 psi. www.compasshealthbrands.com GF Health Products, Inc. Joh N b u NN Neb-u- t y K e Neb-a-Doo DL e Nebu LIZ er Co MP re SS or ■ An interactive, child-friendly solution for effective aerosol treatment. ■ Convenient, compact, easily transportable and storable design comes with Nebulizer Accessory Kit. ■ Five-year limited warranty. www.grahamfield.com Stay current on industry news Renew your free subscription! www.hmenews.com/subscribe A C C E S S O R I E S PA G E 1 5 VOLUME 23 — NUMBER 8 AUGUST 2017 $7.00 HME NEWS POLL ■ BOC's DME certifi cation has taken off, says Claudia Zacharias. See page 20. N E W S ■ Criticism of bid program caught on tape. PAGE 3 ■ Heartland attendees hear from Navy Seal. PAGE 3 ■ NewsPoll: Providers back shorter Medtrade. PAGE 3 S M A RT TA L K ■ This month, our columnists tackle social media, mobile solutions and more. PAGE 8 L E T T E R ■ You don't have to be a millennial to fi nd your revived entrepreneurial spirit and make the jump to increased success. You just have to have the passion to take the leap, says Sarah Hanna. PAGE 6 ■ New products: Check out the latest in home medical equipment, like the Zenith and Matrix Beds from GF Health Products. See page 21. ■ Is your workplace experiencing a shift to a younger workforce? See results on page 22. D E PA RT M E N T S PROVIDERS ■ Nunn's Home Medical Equipment turns 75. PAGE 11 ■ Lincare settles allegations. PAGE 11 ■ MedCare's switch to mobile like 'night and day.' PAGE 11 MOBILITY ■ Nat'l prior auths take effect. PAGE 14 ■ AccessNSM sees 'steady growth' in home access. PAGE 14 ■ NRRTS backs wheelchair users. PAGE 14 RX & SPECIALTY PROVIDERS ■ Wig bill introduced. PAGE 17 ■ Shield Healthcare renews ostomy push. PAGE 17 ■ Liberty Medical looks to sell. PAGE 18 VENDORS ■ USS excels at effi ciency. ■ Golden adds heft. Remark code approved, payments start to roll in LifeCare exits market Ready to roll The United Spinal Association's Roll on Capitol Hill in June brought together hundreds of stakeholders, including husband- and-wife team Wes and Courtney Livaudais. Wes Livaudais lead's United Spinal's chapter in Portland, Ore. For more cover- age, see page 14. CMS comes through on wheelchair accessories ASP GLOBAL TARGETS HOME CARE CURES ACT ADJUSTMENTS BY LIZ BEAULIEU, Editor H M E S TA K E H O L D E R S cheered a hard-fought win for a remark code that will allow providers to identify when claims have been adjusted due to a retroactive delay to reimburse- ment cuts in non-competitive BY THERESA FLAHERTY, Managing Editor P H O E N I X – L i f e C a re S o l u - tions has begun transition- ing patients as it prepares to exit the California market, says company exec Robert Fahlman. "Our No. 1 priority is our patients and we want to make sure we take care of them," said Fahlman, CEO of parent company Preferred Homecare, which acquired LifeCare Solu- tions, primarily a respiratory provider, in 2011. "When they are successfully transitioned, we will have fi nalized our exit from California." LifeCare Solutions, which serves 30,000 patients through 13 locations in California, has laid off its sales staff and some intake staff, and stopped tak- ing referrals. The provider was never able to build the scale it needed to service its competitive bid- ding contracts, says Fahlman. In 2011, when it was acquired, BY LIZ BEAULIEU, Editor WASHINGTON – With only days to spare, stakeholders succeeded in getting CMS to refrain from cutting reimbursement for accessories f o r c o m p l e x re h a b p o w e r wheelchairs. The agency announced late on June 23 that it would not apply competitive bid- ding pricing to accessories on July 1, 2017. "This speaks well of the CRT community, including the BY THERESA FLAHERTY, Managing Editor ATLANTA – With its acquisition of Professional Healing Solutions, a DME provider, ASP Global says it has closed the loop from hospital to home. "We wanted to be able to sup- ply the entire continuum of care bidding areas. T h e D M E M A C s agreed with the need for the code, found one that was appropriate and forwarded the request to CMS. But initially, they were told no. "There was push back, because of the addition- al programming time it might require," said Kim Brummett, vice presi- dent of regulatory affairs for AAHomecare. "CMS said, 'We don't want to hold up the adjustments,' Bid rates are 'unsustainable,' says CEO from the hospital all the way through to the patients at their homes," said Lorne Tritt, CEO of ASP Global, a wholesaler of hospi- tal medical supplies. "A lot of care is shifting outside the hospital and patients are going to be looking more and more to be taken care of in their own settings and needing those supplies, as well." The Crossville, Tenn.-based Professional Healing Solutions specializes in wound care sup- plies, fulfi lling prescriptions for disposable advanced wound care dressings directly to patient's homes. C U R E S A D J U S T M E N T S PA G E 1 8 A S P G L O B A L PA G E 1 8 L I F E C A R E S O L U T I O N S PA G E 1 2 Andrea Stark Seth Johnson 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 Choose your format: Print, Digital or Both Customize your selection of email newsletters RENEW NOW FOR FREE! pedia T ric S C o n T I n u E d f r o M PA g E 2 5 the target area," he said. "They also expe- rience changes in medical needs, which includes no longer needing the services. The patient may outgrow the need for services." u ltimately, the way to keeping a pediatric client is the same as keeping an adult client, r imassa said. "The way to keep a pediatric client is with proper evaluation of needs, great ser- vice, ability to get the products funded, and honest communication with the family in regards to what is achievable and fundable," she said. t ech nee D s fun D ing m anufacturers are utilizing advanced tech- nologies for new pediatric products, includ- ing upgraded electronics and wireless con- nectivity. Still, without the proper funding by payers, patients may be deprived of these advancements, manufacturers say. " g etting payers to accept new technol- ogy is always a challenge," r imassa sad. " o ur industry is always about continuous improvement in a product's weight, func- tion and style. Despite reimbursement cuts, manufacturers are always looking for ways to improve the products in way that gives more independence, comfort and active lifestyle for clients and their caregivers. Continu- ous education of payers is the key to getting things funded." h M e Attends Healthcare Products, Inc., a Domtar Personal Care Company Co MF ee S Pre MI u M D I a P er S ■ Provides ultimate comfort, leakage protection. ■ Ultra-absorbent core locks away wetness for up to 12 hours of protection. ■ Soft, hypoallergenic liner; stretch fasteners; unique SoftFlex waistband; fun designs. www.mycomfees.com Other