 |
 The
Durable Medical Equipment Competitive Bidding Program
July 16, 2008
The above affects
only Medicare beneficiaries in traditional
fee-for-service in 10 competitive bidding areas, has
been delayed. Medicare beneficiaries may use any
Medicare-approved supplier for Durable Medical
Equipment. If a beneficiary changed suppliers when
this new program started (July 1, 2008), they can either
continue to use the new supplier or choose another
supplier. The original DME payment rates in effect
prior to July 1 are reinstated
retroactively. All Medicare households in the 10
competitive bidding areas will be notified of this
change directly in a letter from CMS within two weeks.
The DME Competitive Bidding areas are: (1)
Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, NC-SC, (2)
Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN, (3)
Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH, (4) Dallas-Fort
Worth-Arlington, TX, (5) Kansas City, MO-KS, (6)
Miami-Fort
Lauderdale-Miami Beach, FL, (7) Orlando-Kissimmee, FL,
(8) Pittsburgh, PA, (9) Riverside-San
Bernardino-Ontario, CA, and (10) San Juan,
PR.Information on payment rates and claims processing
will be communicated to DME suppliers in the coming
days.
>>
More information on DME
CMS looks to limit
patient contact
Feb 4, 08
CMS's proposed
changes to the DMEPOS Supplier Standards have raised
some eyebrows among industry attorneys for what looks
like a drastic attempt to reduce a provider's ability to
market to Medicare beneficiaries.
>>http://tinyurl.com/32fk3w
Medicaid
Competitive Bidding
It could be
as big a threat as Medicare competitive bidding and
Florida legislators are leading the way.
Jan 22, 08
>>
http://www.hmetoday.com/issues/articles/2002-08_01.asp
HME ‘at stake’ in 2008
With
the House of Representatives and the Senate eyeing cuts
to home medical equipment.
Jan 22, 08
>>http://www.hmenews.com:80/index.php?p=article&id=hm200801EbidCW
Study Shows Oxygen Therapy for Medicare Patients at Home
is Service-Intensive
Nearly three-quarters (72%) of the cost of
providing home oxygen therapy to Medicare patients in
their homes represent services, delivery, and other
operational expenses that benefit patients, according to
a comprehensive new survey of current costs by Morrison
Informatics, commissioned AAHomecare. Only about
one quarter (28%) of the cost represents oxygen
equipment.
More Information >>
Competitive Bidding Final Rule (Oxygen Supplies and
Equipment are #1)
"The final rule we are announcing today is
focused on improving both service delivery and the
quality of care, while getting savings for beneficiaries
and taxpayers," CMS Acting Administrator Leslie V.
Norwalk said in an official CMS statement. However, an
analyst quoted in the April 2, 2007, issue of
Congressional Quarterly said the new rule would lead to
business closures and hurt-not help-Medicare
beneficiaries.
More Information >>
CMS Names Top 10 MSAs for Competitive Bidding
After much speculation, the long-awaited
list of the first 10 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs)
is finally available from the CMS list posted at
www.dmecompetitivebid.com.
More Information >>
LTOT in COPD: Recommendations for Future Research: An
NHLBI Workshop Report
LTOT prolongs life in patients with COPD
and severe resting hypoxemia. Although this
benefit is proven by clinical trials, scientific
research has not provided definitive guidance regarding
who should receive LTOT and how it should be delivered.
Deficiencies in knowledge and in current research
activity related to LTOT are especially striking in
comparison to the importance of LTOT in the management
of COPD and the associated costs. The National Heart,
Lung and Blood Institute, in collaboration with the
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, convened a
working group to discuss research on LTOT.
More Information >>
|
|
