The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of Health & Human Services released a report that raises more concerns about the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) ill-conceived competitive bidding program for home medical equipment.   Looking at contract suppliers in Round 2 of the bidding program identified in complaints from the supplier community and congressional inquiries, the OIG focused on 146 unique contract suppliers that may not have...

Read More

Unifying the voices of consumer advocates nationwide, the American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) and VGM Group Inc. today announced merger plans for their respective consumer advocacy groups into a single, industry-wide consumer advocacy platform.  Under this initiative, Save My Medical Supplies and People for Quality Care will combine under the People for Quality Care brand, amplifying the consumer voice and providing a more powerful platform to advocate for beneficiaries...

Read More

As anticipated, the DME MACs collectively released revised coding and coverage requirements for ventilators in the Frequent and Substantial Servicing (FSS) payment category. The new guidance removes the imminent death criteria from the coverage, which is now applicable under the following conditions:   Neuromuscular diseases, thoracic restrictive diseases, and chronic respiratory failure consequent to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.   The announcement, which...

Read More

A powerful voice in Washington can only come from an informed and active membership base. The American Association for Homecare is proud to represent such a group. In my first three months with AAHomecare, I’ve quickly discovered that the strength, tenacity, and resolve of the people who make up the HME/DME industry is overwhelming – and this does not surprise me in the least. Your response to the trials you face daily to keep your doors open in a volatile regulatory and legislative...

Read More