Everyone is Talking “Health Reform” - 7/2/2009 Is Your Voice Being Heard? This week, members of Congress are in their home districts for the Independence Day Recess discussing the health reform issue with their constituents at local events such as town hall meetings. (more...)
REMINDER: Continue Posting on the CRE Web site! - 7/1/2009 More comments from affected parties gives more stature Recently, VGM sent information about the Center for Regulatory Effectiveness (CRE) Web site and urged providers and their beneficiaries to provide comments on such things as competitive bidding and th (more...)
Ways and Means Releases Draft of Health Reform Bill - 6/30/2009 Contact your Legislators During the Independence Day Recess! The House Ways and Means Committee has released its draft version of a health care reform bill, which includes a provision that would require physicians who prescribe durable medical equipment to be & (more...)
Ways and Means Releases Draft of Health Reform Bill - 6/30/2009 Contact your Legislators During the Independence Day Recess! The House Ways and Means Committee has released its draft version of a health care reform bill, which includes a provision that would require physicians who prescribe durable medical equipment to be & (more...)
Democrats Reform Plan Hits PWC Purchase Option - 6/25/2009 HomeCare Monday House Democrats revealed a draft version of their health care reform bill on Friday, and while the massive 852-page proposal would cover nearly all Americans, it lacked two major components: a price t (more...)
Yesterday, VGM met with the state leaders to discuss efforts led by the Center for Regulatory Effectiveness (CRE) to defeat or reform CMS’s competitive bidding program. The meeting with th (more...)
Debate on Health Care Heating Up - 6/16/2009 Cost is going to be a major factor CBO recently released their figures on the cost of health care reform (see second article below), which could cost up to $1 trillion in over 10 years. Because of their figures, it is likely that (more...)
HOPP Act Gains Additional Co-Sponsors - 6/9/2009 Keep Contacting Your Representative to get More Support! Because of efforts made during both the Memorial Day Recess and last week’s AAHomecare Legislative Conference, H.R. 2373, the Home Oxygen Patient Protection (HOPP) Act of 2009, (more...)
Wanting to keep the DME industry aware, Congressman Braley’s (D-Iowa) staff notified VGM of a tentativetimeline for the House Health Care Reform proposal. The timeline may be found (more...)
Competitive Bidding Round 1.2 to Begin in January 2011 - 6/4/2009 TENTATIVE Timeline Announced Today, VGM`s Mark Higley, vice-president of development and John Gallagher, vice-president of government relations, attended the Program Advisory and Oversight Committee (PAOC) meeting for t (more...)
ACTION ALERT! - 6/2/2009 Contact your Congressional Members THIS WEEK Providers, along with their employees, families, and beneficiaries are reminded to contact their Congressional members this week to get our message conveyed! More than 300 DME industry (more...)
Critical Battle Ahead on NCB - 6/1/2009 From HomeCare Monday, June 1, 2009 Cara Bachenheimer is swift to identify the top three issues for the home medical equipment industry: “Competitive bidding.” (more...)
Not going to the Hill this week for the AAH Legislative Conference? - 6/1/2009 Then make your calls from home! Providers and their employees, family, and beneficiaries must contact their members of Congress this week to add to the efforts the industry is making on the Hill! If you are not traveling to D. (more...)
Competitive Bidding to Open in Fall 2009 - 5/29/2009 CMS Says, "Get Ready for Competitive Bidding!" The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA), enacted on July 15, 2008, made limited changes to the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Supplies (more...)
DME Comp Bidding Rebid Nears, Stakeholders Seek Program Changes - 5/28/2009 Ashley Richards, Inside Health Policy Durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers and regulatory watchdogs are urging CMS to administratively reform its competitive bidding program before beginning the round 1 rebid -- the time frame for wh (more...)
HR 2373: Keep Contacting your Representatives! - 5/28/2009 HOPP Act Needs More Cosponsors The Memorial Day Recess is not quite over. Members of Congress will not return to the Hill until June 1. Continue to contact your representative to ask for support of HR 2373!(more...)
Providers, along with their employees and beneficiaries should contact their representative and senators while they are home for the Memorial Day Recess. Members of Congress are not expecte (more...)
Attorney General Eric Holder and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the creation of a new interagency effort, the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement (more...)
Study Finds Home Health Saves Medicare Billions - 5/18/2009 Homecare Magazine, 5/18/09 WASHINGTON--Patients with at least one chronic disease who used home health care after hospitalization saved Medicare $1.7 billion over a two-year period, according to a study released May 11. (more...)
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will be hosting a meeting with the Program Advisory and Oversight Committee (PAOC) on June 4, 2009 to discuss the Round 1 Rebid of the Medicare D (more...)
To ensure that the independent home medical equipment (HME) providers have a voice in public policy and a seat at the table for any health care reform initiative, a group of proactive HME
leade (more...)
Senators Get STOP Act Started Again - 5/11/2009 HomeCare Monday, May 11, 2009 Sens. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, are trying again with the STOP Act and an accompanying bill aimed at preventing and stopping Medicare and Medicaid fraud. (more...)
MACs Issue Travel Oxygen Article - 5/11/2009 HomeCare Monday, May 11, 2009 On Thursday, the DME MACs issued an article on travel oxygen related to short-term travel (days or weeks) and temporary relocation, such as for snowbirds. (more...)
First Surety Bond Deadline Today - 5/4/2009 HomeCare Monday, May 4, 2009 As of today, HME companies applying for a new National Provider Identifier must have a $50,000 surety bond in order to be approved as a Medicare provider. (more...)
New PAOC Members Hopeful as First Meeting Approaches - 5/4/2009 HomeCare Monday, May 4, 2009 Members of the second Program Advisory and Oversight Committee said Friday they are hopeful they can have a positive impact on DMEPOS competitive bidding as the rebid process moves forward. (more...)
Senate Panel Examines Medicare Payment Proposal - 4/30/2009 American Health Line, April 29, 2009 Senators Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) released a 48-page document outlining their health care reform proposal. In it, they discuss home health agencies and propose that the S (more...)
Effective June 1, 2009 DMEPOS suppliers submitting applications to Medicare must use the revised CMS-855S form. Applications submitted after June first using the old 855-S form will be rejected. (more...)
Senate confirms Sebelius as HHS secretary - 4/29/2009 Matthew DoBias, Modern Healthcare, 4/28/09 Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius beat back questions over taxes and her ties to a doctor who performs late-term abortions to win confirmation to the nation’s top healthcare post on a 65-31Senate vo (more...)
In spite of Congressional pressure to halt the final rule for competitive bidding, CMS has stated that it will move forward with the April 18 effective date of the final rule. The following (more...)
Last week, Senate Finance ranking member Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) sent a letter to HHS Acting Secretary Charles Johnson expressing his "continuing concerns" about CMS` implementation of the (more...)
Populist Caucus Chair Supports Competitive Bidding Delay - 4/16/2009 Rep. Braley (D-Iowa) Supports Competitive Bidding Delay Populist Caucus Chairman Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) supports a delay in the competitive bidding program. In an April 14 letter to White House Office of Health Reform Director Nancy-Ann DeParle, the c (more...)
Thanks to the efforts of DME providers and industry stakeholders, 83 House members joined Congresswoman Betty Sutton (D-Oh.) in a letter addressed to the HHS Acting Secretary, CMS Acting Administrator (more...)
HHS Nominee Calls for Health Care Fraud Crackdown - 4/9/2009 By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR, March 31, 2009 Saying she`d be a tough enforcer, President Barack Obama`s choice to head the Health and Human Services Department on Tuesday called for a crackdown on medical fraud as part of any health care overhau (more...)
WATERLOO, Iowa – Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, was the guest of honor Tuesday evening at a fundraiser at the home of Van G. Miller, CEO of The VGM Group, Inc. (more...)
REMINDER: Grassley Fundraiser is TODAY! - 4/7/2009 Join VGM and other Stakeholders! Join VGM and other industry stakeholders for this important event! The industry may not have another chance to meet with the Senate`s "number two guy" to fix the ca (more...)
Round One Rebid Too Close To Call - 4/6/2009 From HomeCare Monday; April 6, 2009 Providers in the remaining Round One competitive bidding areas should get ready for a rebid. That was the advice from VGM Group’s Mark Higley during a March 25 session at Medtrade Spring in Las (more...)
Open Door Forum Addresses Surety Bond Issues - 4/6/2009 From HomeCare Monday; April 6, 2009 At an Open Door Forum on Wednesday, CMS officials ticked through a raft of important dates for DMEPOS providers on accreditation, the interim final rule on competitive bidding, the Recovery Audit Cont (more...)
Sources: Billings Clinic CEO Could Be Tapped To Lead CMS - 4/6/2009 Brett Coughlin, Inside Health Policy, 4/2/09 A physician and CEO of Billings (Montana) Clinic, Nicholas Wolter, is being considered as the next CMS administrator, Washington insiders tell Inside CMS. Billings Clinic spokesman Jim Duncan confirme (more...)
It was reported yesterday that HHS Secretary nominee Kathleen Sebelius (D-KS) had corrected three years of tax returns and paid almost $8,000 in back taxes and interest. While the Obama administ (more...)
MAMES and VGM Attend the Regional Health Care Forum in Iowa - 3/27/2009 NCAMES Will Be Represented at North Carolina Forum On Monday, March 23, 2009, MAMES/VGM members Julie Weidemann, director of Palmer Home Medical Supply and Matt Flatt of Hammer Medical attended the “Iowa White House Forum on Health Reform” (more...)
In its transmittal dated March 20, 2009, CMS provided payment instructions for oxygen equipment eligible for maintenance after the 36-month rental cap. (more...)
Medicare Rules on Equipment Worry Patients - 3/19/2009 By Barbara Martinez, Wall Street Journal, March 19, 2009 Competitive Bidding Will Save Money on Supplies, but Quality of Service Could Be at Risk (more...)
AA Homecare has reported that Sen. John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) plans to hold a hearing on competitive bidding for home medical equipment before his Health Subcommittee of the Senate Finance Committee o (more...)
The Michigan Home Health Association (MHHA) has been invited to attend the health care forum in Dearborn, Michigan this Thursday, March 12. In his response to the Obama Administration’s ann (more...)
DMEPOS Accreditation – Get It Now - 3/12/2009 Deadline is September 30, 2009 CMS has reminded providers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS) who bill Medicare under Part B must obtain accreditation by September 30, 2009. (more...)
ACTION ALERT: Call the Capitol and the Obama Administration - 3/9/2009 Let them know that DME is the solution – not the problem! Congress and the president are looking to overhaul and reform the U.S. health care system. On Thursday, March 5, the president hosted a White House forum on health care where he indicated that h (more...)
ACTION ALERT: Attend the Forum in Your Area - 3/9/2009 White House to Hold Health Care Forums across U.S. Following last week’s White House Health Care summit, the Obama Administration has announced that it will hold regional health care forums across the United States (see Reuters article be (more...)
Obama Picks Sebelius, Deparle to Oversee Health Reform - 3/4/2009 By George E. Condon, Jr., CongressDaily, 3/2/09 Girding for a titanic struggle to overhaul the nation`s healthcare system, President Obama this morning officially named the two women he expects to lead the effort he has called critical to reducing (more...)
Chairman Baucus Seeks to Offset Healthcare Overhaul - 3/4/2009 By Anna Edney,CongressDaily, 3/3/09 Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus changed course on how to pay for universal health coverage today, telling reporters this morning that healthcare overhaul legislation would be fully offset. "We (more...)
The following two articles discuss President Obama’s 2010 budget proposal that targets home health in order to "implement comprehensive health reforms." The DME industry shou (more...)
`No Ifs, Ands or Buts` on Competitive Bidding - 2/23/2009 From HomeCare Monday Despite a 60-day delay of the competitive bidding interim final rule, the Medicare bidding project will move forward and Round One will be rebid this year. That was the word from CMS’ Joel Kaise (more...)
VGM Members who would like to use direct mail as part of a smart and effective marketing campaign will appreciate vgm creative’s brand new (more...)(go to source...)
VGM Group Inc.’s National Competitive Bidding Services has postponed its series, “Competitive Bidding Round 1.2: The Rules Have Changed” originally scheduled to begin in March. (more...)
Just a day after comments regarding the notice of delay for the Interim Final Rule on competitive bidding were due, CMS announced that the effective date of the rule (CMS-1561-IFR) (more...)
During today’s House Small Business Committee hearing on competitive bidding, Subcommittee on Rural Development, Entrepreneurship and Trade Chairman Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) called for an end to co (more...)
Thanks to the efforts of NCAMES, a House Small Business Committee hearing to address competitive bidding has been set for Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 10 am EST. Providers are stron
VGM Group said Friday it has entered the exploding home modifications market with a new company called Accessible Home Improvement of America. (more...)
Oxygen Questions Remain Unanswered - 2/5/2009 Alan Morris, Regulatory Analyst, VGM I recently asked a CMS representatives a few questions about some currently pressing issues for oxygen providers. Please see the questions and answers below. (more...)
Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) has announced the introduction of his bill, the Medicare Rural Health Access Improvement Act of 2009, S. 318. According to his statements, this legislation would & (more...)
Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) has announced the introduction of his bill, the Medicare Rural Health Access Improvement Act of 2009, S. 318. According to his statements, this legislation would & (more...)
White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel has informed all federal agencies that any pending rules will not move forward until Obama’s administration can review each one. This means that the new (more...)
Today, VGM sent a letter to Congressman Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) requesting him to send a letter to Secretary-designate Tom Daschle that urges him to rescind the interim final rule for competitive biddin (more...)
Government Pushes for Keychain Medical Records - 1/22/2009 However, privacy advocates concerned Wired for Health Care Quality Act lacks privacy protections The Senate recently passed a bill that encourages the DHHS to find ways to improve the information technology used in health care. (more...)
DMEPOS Accreditation Deadline Round 2 Announcement - 1/22/2009 GET ACCREDITED FOR DMEPOS COMPETITIVE BIDDING! In order to participate in the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program, suppliers must mee (more...)
By Rob Brandt, President of Accredited Medical Equipment Providers of America, Inc. (AMEPA)
Some people spend their Mother’s Day enjoying the company of t (more...)
ACTION ALERT! - 1/22/2009 Contact your Representative TODAY! NCAMES member Heath Sutton with Mountaineer Oxygen Services; NCAMES/VGM member Casey Hite with Aeroflow; and MAMES/VGM member Juli(more...)
Medicare providers in the 10 Competitive Bidding Areas (CBAs) who order or refer Medicare beneficiaries for Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Suppli (more...)
Continue to contact your legislators to ask that they vote to override the president’s veto. If Bush vetoes the bill tomorrow, the House could vote to overrid(more...)
At approximately 4:50 PM EDT, the House voted to override the president`s veto on H.R. 6331 - the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 200 (more...)
Late this afternoon, the Senate voted to override the president`s veto of H.R. 6331 - the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 - by an (more...)
CANCELED - 1/22/2009 ACCREDITATION Deadlines FOR DMEPOS Competitive Bidding A message from CMS…
The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 was enacted on July 15, 2008. This n (more...)
Providers are urged to make a wave and get their voices heard on the Hill. Congressional members such as Reps. Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.), Tom Price (R-Ga.) and Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) have state (more...)
VGM has received notice that CMS has released the interim final rule for competitive bidding. (more...)
CMS to Assess Providers’ ‘Potential for Fraud’ - 1/13/2009 HomeCare Monday, January 12, 2009 In a transmittal issued on New Year’s Eve, CMS said the National Supplier Clearinghouse Medicare Administrative Contractor will begin a “fraud potential analysis” of all DMEPOS applicants an (more...)
A new CMS rule mandates virtually all HME providers will be required to have a surety bond in place later this year. VGM Insurance has established a Surety Bond Hotline t (more...)
According to a report from the Kaiser Network (see below), the Senate Democrats are looking to add SCHIP legislation to an economic stimulus package. The advantage to this is that (more...)
ACTION ALERT: Send your letter to the editor about erroneous information (more...)
Summary of Surety Bond Requirement Provisions - 1/6/2009 Alan M. Morris, VGM As mandated by section 4312(b) of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA), CMS is implementing section 1834(a)(16) of the Social Security Act (the Act), requiring the major (more...)
REMINDER: CMS Recommends Suppliers Apply for Accreditation No Later Than January 31, 2009 to Ensure Completion by the September 30, 2009 Deadline (more...)
As providers are aware, Jan. 1 marked the first day of the post-capped payment rules for oxygen. In an effort to track any issues or problems that may be encountered after the payment cap, (more...)
The community discussion on health care has been rescheduled from Jan. 5 to Monday, Jan. 12 at 10:30 am. Originally scheduled for Dec. 19, the event was postponed to Jan. 5 because of inclement weath (more...)
CMS has released its Final Rule regarding the DMEPOS Surety Bond. VGM is currently reviewing the 206-page document, and will provide a summation of provisions in the very near future. (more...)
Oxygen cap: Industry pumps up efforts - 12/23/2008 By Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor, HME News Two "dear colleague" letters that ask CMS to delay the 36-month oxygen cap were making the rounds among departing lawmakers last week. (more...)
Last Friday, seven senators sent a letter to CMS Acting Administrator Kerry Weems requesting CMS to “revise and, if necessary, delay the final rule” for oxygen payments. (more...)
Call for Cap Delay Grows as Senators Write CMS - 12/22/2008 HomeCare Monday, December 22, 2008 A contingent of seven Republican senators on Friday called on CMS Acting Administrator Kerry Weems to “revise and, if necessary, delay” the Jan. 1 implementation of the 36-month oxygen rental cap.
(more...)
New Study: Oxygen Providers to Lose $850M in 2009 - 12/22/2008 HomeCare Monday, December 22, 2008 Oxygen providers who bill Medicare will be about $850 million short in reimbursement in 2009, according to a new study on Medicare payment policy and home oxygen therapy. (more...)
SBA Backs O2 Providers on Cap Complaints - 12/22/2008 HomeCare Monday, December 22, 2008 On Wednesday, the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy filed comments with CMS asking that the agency do a better job analyzing the economic impacts of the 36-month O2 cap on s (more...)
Thanks to the efforts of DME providers, state associations and industry stakeholders, the Shuler-Price letter to CMS requesting a delay of the new payment rules for oxygen received over 90 signatures (more...)
According to President-elect Barack Obama’s transition Web site (www.change.gov), Obama has made health care a “top priority” and is asking for Americans to (more...)
Because of the efforts of the Midwest Association of Medical Equipment Services (MAMES), Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) is sending a letter, similar to the Shuler-Price letter to CMS, asking for a delay in (more...)
Due to the weather, the community discussion on health care has been rescheduled for Monday, Jan. 5 at 10:30 am. VGM thanks those who had made plans to attend and apologizes for the inconvenience. (more...)
HME providers have likely received Medicare`s annual "Open Enrollment" letter from Palmetto GBA dated November 15, 2008. This letter has to do with “participation” status (more...)
The following USNewswire article is about a network of home medical equipment providers in New England who have joined forces to help oxygen patients survive in a “deadly ice storm.” Provid (more...)
The rebuilding of the nation’s health care structure will be led by former South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle in a dual role as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and director of the (more...)
MIPPA section 154(b) added a new subparagraph (F) to section 1834(a)(20) of the Social Security Act. This subparagraph states that eligible professionals and other persons are exempt from meeting t (more...)
House speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has announced new House committee members. Providers are urged to contact these members of Congress to both congratulate them and attempt to set up meetings with (more...)
Congressman Heath Shuler (D-NC) has sent a letter to his colleagues on the Hill, asking them to join him in sending a request to CMS to refrain from implementing the new payment rules for oxygen. (more...)
In the Dec. 10 Legislative Update, VGM urged all providers to contact their representatives to ask them to sign on to Congressman Heath Shuler’s (D-NC) letter to CMS requesting a d (more...)
OIG Opens the Door on DME-Hospital Closet Deals - 12/8/2008 HomeCare Monday, December 8, 2008 The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, in an advisory opinion issued Nov. 19, gave the go to two HME providers to place equipment in hospital supply closets and have (more...)
On Dec. 8, many providers and industry stakeholders tuned into the CIGNA “Ask the Contractors Teleconference” (ACT) that addressed the new oxygen regulations. CMS’ Joel Kaiser joined listeners on the (more...)
Medicare has addressed beneficiaries’ concerns regarding the new payment rules for oxygen in the frequently asked questions (FAQs) section of the Web site. The following is a list (more...)
CMS this week released new information regarding oxygen equipment and contents payment rates for 2009. As most providers are aware, the Medicare Improvements for Patient (more...)
Cost of Living Increase for DME? - 11/24/2008 The following is from the National Journal regarding the Cost of Living: Getting a Raise: Here`s some good economic news for a change. Social Security benefits for about 50 million retirees will go up 5.8 percent next year (more...)
Election season is over and it is time once again to start contacting your Congressional members! The Senate Democrats are making plans to “overhaul” the health (more...)
HME Advocates Hopeful about Daschle’s HHS Leadership - 11/24/2008 From HomeCare Monday In a move that sparked some cautious optimism among home medical equipment stakeholders, President-elect Barack Obama last week named former Sen. Tom Daschle of South Dakota to head up the Department (more...)
Industry Girds for Battle over Oxygen Regs - 11/24/2008 From HomeCare Monday Last week CMS issued a special edition MLN Matters article explaining changes in Medicare payment for oxygen that brought a fresh outcry from HME advocates about the new rules and provider responsibil (more...)
SOURCE: DASCHLE TO RUN HHS - 11/20/2008 Hill Briefs, 11/19/08 White House - Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle is President-elect Obama`s choice to be HHS secretary, a source close to Daschle said today. Daschle, an early backer of Obama`s candidacy, has
Baucus Plan: Kudos and Cautions - 11/17/2008 HomeCare Monday, November17, 2008 Signaling the new Congress’ intention to tackle the issue of health care early on next year, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., last week unveiled a comprehensive reform plan that drew both kudos and cautions (more...)
RACs Ready to Rack Up Improper Payments - 11/17/2008 HomeCare Monday, November 17, 2008 CMS held a Special Open Door Forum Thursday to introduce its new Recovery Audit Contractors, tabbed in October to ferret out Medicare overpayments and underpayments. The RACs will be paid a contingenc (more...)
For HME Providers, Medicare Home Sleep Testing Bites the Dust - 11/17/2008 HomeCare Monday, November 17, 2008 Along with a slew of new oxygen payment rules, Medicare`s 2009 Physician Fee Schedule put the final nail in the Medicare home sleep testing coffin for HME providers. (more...)
REMINDER! - 11/10/2008 The “Lunch Bucket” is tomorrow at 12:30 pm CST Join VGM’s John Gallagher, Mark Higley and Bob Hoffman for “lunch” and listen in as they discuss the new payment rules for oxygen that CMS released last week. The three will al (more...)
Impact of Obama, New Congress a Question Mark for HME - 11/10/2008 HomeCare Monday, November 10, 2008 Last week’s election of Sen. Barack Obama as the next president of the United States and a stream of new Democrats in both the House of Representatives and the Senate could bode well for the home medi (more...)
Outcry Grows Over New O2 Regs - 11/10/2008 HomeCare Monday, November 10, 2008 Following CMS’ Oct. 30 release of regulations involving changes to Medicare home oxygen policy and payment, some stakeholders involved in the sector said they believe the new rules (more...)
CMS is accepting comments on the oxygen regulations until 5 p.m. EST Dec. 29. In commenting, refer to file code CMS-1403-FC. Comments can be submitted in one of four ways: (more...)
More Cuts in 2009? - 11/3/2008 From HME Today Friday Report Panelists in Atlanta (pictured) this week agreed that despite a 9.5% cut for many products on Jan 1, 2009, HME could still be a ripe target for reimbursement cuts in the (more...)
Get Them Before They Go Back to D.C. - 11/3/2008 From HME Today Friday Report VGM’s John Gallagher hammered a familiar theme this week, telling Medtrade attendees that regardless of who wins next week’s election, providers must establish contact with members of Congress, and pr (more...)
Oxygen Answers Not What Industry Wanted to Hear - 11/3/2008 HomeCare Monday For months, providers and other industry advocates have been asking CMS for guidance on numerous issues surrounding the 36-month oxygen rental cap, which becomes effective Jan. 1. (more...)
VGM Group Inc.’s National Competitive Bidding Services will offer “Competitive Bidding Round 1.2: The Rules Have Changed” throughout the country during 2009. (more...)
ICD-10-CM/PCS National Provider Conference Call for Other Part A and Part B Providers may now register for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ICD-10-CM/PCS Nati (more...)
An invitation to join VGM at Medtrade in support of Monty Lankford. (more...)
CMS Releases Final Quality Standards - 10/21/2008 Commentary from Mark Higley, VGM CMS has issued its revised quality standards. Last week the agency held a 4 1/2-hour conference directed to DMEPOS providers that had not yet obtained accreditation. The Medicare Improvements for Pa (more...)
It`s Official: Medicaid Spending Spirals Out of Control - 10/20/2008 HomeCare Monday, October 20, 2008 The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services warned policymakers late Friday that Medicaid spending is projected to grow much faster than the economy over the next 10 years. With expenditu (more...)
OIG Aims at DME in 2009 Work Plan - 10/20/2008 From HomeCare Monday, October 20, 2008 In its Work Plan for 2009, issued earlier this month, HHS` Office of Inspector General said it will take on a number of DME investigations. (more...)
The VGM PAC, along with the AAHomecare PAC, Cara Bachenheimer of Invacare, Van Miller of VGM, and Jim Walsh of VGM, hosted a fundraising reception for Congressman Bruce Braley at VGM Headq (more...)
OIG to Examine CPAP Payments - 10/17/2008 From HME Today Friday Report As part of its Work Plan for FY 2009, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) will investigate Medicare payments for both sleep studies and CPAP devices. “Medicare payments for polysomnography (more...)
U.S. Supreme Court Sides with CMS in Maximum Comfort Case - 10/14/2008 HomeCare Monday, October 14, 2008 The U.S. Supreme Court refused last week to review an appeals court decision that further documentation beyond a CMN could be required for Medicare to pay a claim for a power wheel (more...)
CMS Rolls Out Host of New Anti-Fraud Measures - 10/13/2008 HomeCare Monday, October 13, 2008 On Oct. 6, CMS unveiled a host of “aggressive new steps” to prevent fraud and abuse, including the launch of a national recovery audit contractor (RAC) program. (more...)
DME Pricing on MedPAC Agenda? - 10/10/2008 From HME Today Friday Report, October 10, 2008 According to this week’s edition of Elis Home Care Week, the Medicare Advisory Payment Commission may again be examining DME pricing this year. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) is an (more...)
Weems Targets ‘Rotten’ DME Suppliers - 10/8/2008 Medicare Expands Its Crackdown on Fraud, by Julie Applebee, USA Today, 10/7/08 Acting Medicare chief Kerry Weems on Monday announced new efforts to combat fraud in seven states, focusing on companies that improperly provide patients with medical equipment such as wheel (more...)
On October 14, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will conduct an on-site conference that will provide guidance to the DMEPOS suppliers on how to comply with the DMEPOS (more...)
VGM would like to inform its members that due to circumstances beyond our control, today`s fundraising event honoring Congressman Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) has been postponed. VGM wil (more...)
CMS Calls for PAOC Nominees - 10/1/2008 A HomeCare Monday Special Alert, Wednesday, October 1 Earlier this afternoon, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued the following notice soliciting nominees for panel members to serve on the Program Advisory and Oversight Commit (more...)
Monty Lankford (R-TN) is running for the United States Congress (more...)
JOIN OUR EFFORTS IN SUPPORTING AN INDUSTRY CHAMPION! - 9/24/2008 VGM to Host Fundraising Event for Congressman Braley The VGM PAC, along with the AAHomecare PAC, Cara Bachenheimer of Invacare, Van Miller of VGM, and Jim Walsh of VGM will host a fundraising event honoring Congressman Bruce Braley (D-IA). (more...)
DME MACs Revise PAP LCDs - 9/24/2008 From Sleep Review, Wednesday, Sepember 24, 2008 The Durable Medical Equipment Medicare Administrative Contractors (DME MACs) have released revised Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs) for PAP devices for the (more...)
DME MACs Issue ‘Kinder’ Sleep LCD - 9/22/2008 From HomeCare Monday Weeks after tabling the Sept. 1 implementation date for the local coverage determination for PAP devices, the DME MACs last week issued a revised LCD that eased at least (more...)
Post-Ike, HME Providers Remain for the Long Haul - 9/22/2008 From HomeCare Monday With the death toll at 60 as of Friday and more than a million people still without power in Texas alone, residents across nine states moved into recovery mode last week in the aftermath of Hurricane (more...)
CMS Cautions Providers on Oxygen Equipment Rules - 9/22/2008 From HomeCare Monday In an Open Door Forum Wednesday, CMS included a caution on repeal of the oxygen equipment transfer called for under the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act--althou (more...)
VGM sincerely apologizes for the technical difficulties you may have encountered in attempting to view the Lunch Bucket. Rest assured, we will conduct another Lunch Bucket in the very near (more...)
HHS has delcared Public Health Emergency and released Waiver of Modification Requirements for both Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. (more...)
Hurricane Information – Ike and Gustav - 9/16/2008 From Cigna Government Services, September 2, 2008 - REVISED 09.15.08 Public health emergencies have been issued in several states affected by the recent Hurricanes Ike and Gustav. CIGNA Government Services is committed (more...)
Senate Passes ADA Amendments Act - 9/16/2008 From HomeCare Monday On Thursday, the Senate unanimously approved a bill that would clarify the intent of the Americans with Disabilities Act and “ensure that all Americans with disabilities are protected from discriminat (more...)
The VGM PAC, along with the AAHomecare PAC, Cara Bachenheimer of Invacare, Van Miller of VGM, and Jim Walsh of VGM will host a fundraising event honoring Congressman Bruce Braley (D-IA). Th (more...)
Hurricane Info from HHS, CMS - 9/8/2008 From HomeCare Monday On August 31, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt declared a public health emergency in response to Hurricane Gustav to ensure that individuals, including thos (more...)
Alphabet Soup of Storms Spells Trouble for Patients, Providers - 9/8/2008 From HomeCare Monday Floridians are still cleaning up after Tropical Storm Fay. As of Friday, 700,000 Louisianans were still without power after Hurricane Gustav, and the federal government had issued a temporar (more...)
VGM, Invacare and numerous valued VGM Members donated to the Defeat Competitive Bidding Fund, created by AAHomecare to support litigation challenging CMS’ DMEPOS Competitive (more...)
AASM: CPAP Reimbursement Unnecessarily Prohibitive - 9/5/2008 From HME News While applauding CMS’ attempts to prevent fraud, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) called CMS’ 1403-P proposal “unnecessarily prohibitive, and one that ultimately compromises patient care. (more...)
CMS Issues Hurricane Answers - 9/5/2008 From HME News If you or your patients were affected by Hurricane Gustav, there are special condition codes for disaster-related claims. CMS provided the new information this week for providers who need to bill Medi (more...)
Whistle-blowers help US recoup $9.3 billion - 9/3/2008 Associated Press, By Kevin Freking Whistle-blowers helped authorities recover at least $9.3 billion from health care providers accused of defrauding states and the federal government, according to an analysis of Justice Department reco (more...)
The ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee overseeing Medicare has demanded a ``full accounting`` of how the agency underestimated (more...)
Report Faults Medicare Audits - 8/26/2008 The Washington Post, August 26, 2008, by Christopher Lee The rate of improper payments, including fraud, in Medicare`s purchases of wheelchairs and other home medical equipment is significantly higher than the government has estimated, according to a federa (more...)
NCB ‘Round 1.2’ in the Works - 8/25/2008 HomeCare Monday, August 25, 2008 According to press reports, Joel Kaiser, CMS’ Deputy director of DMEPOS policy, told members of the Practicing Physicians Advisory Council the agency is busy planning the ramp-up of national (more...)
DME MACs Put a Hold on PAP LCDs - 8/25/2008 HomeCare Monday, August 25, 2008 In the latest development on PAP testing and policy, last week the four DME MACs delayed the Sept. 1 implementation date of their recent local coverage determinations on positive airway pres (more...)
Orlando Sentinel, August 22, 2008 By Kevin Freking, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) _ Nearly three years into the Medicare drug benefit, federal officials have yet to ensure t (more...)
Medicare’s Claims - 8/22/2008 The New York Times Editorial, August 22, 2008 Medicare is an enormously popular and effective insurance program for older Americans that faces a daunting array of financial problems. Its escalating costs threaten to devour frightening amounts of (more...)
Report Rejects Medicare Boast of Paring Fraud - 8/21/2008 From The New York Times, by Charles Duhigg Medicare’s top officials said in 2006 that they had reduced the number of fraudulent and improper claims paid by the agency, keeping billions of dollars out of the hands of people trying to (more...)
Legislative Update - August 20, 2008 - 8/20/2008 CMS Special Open Door Forum: DMEPOS Accreditation - MIPPA 2008 Guidance Wednesday, September 3, 2008
In July, the DME MACs published a Local Coverage Determination (LCD) on Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) Devices for Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Some criteria in that policy were to take (more...)
CMS` Open Door Mantra: `Send an E-Mail` - 8/18/2008 From HomeCare Monday BALTIMORE--Industry stakeholders seeking answers to questions about accreditation, compensation for competitive bid winners and other home medical equipment issues for the most part came away empty-ha (more...)
GAO Report on DME Fraud Points Finger at CMS - 8/15/2008 (Homecare Monday, August 11, 2008) WASHINGTON--Strong words from the Government Accountability Office are again focused on DME fraud--but this time, the blame is not falling solely on providers but rather on CMS and (more...)
Three weeks ago, AMEPA Board Member Barry Johnson, asked CMS how maintenance and other aspects of oxygen service would be covered in 2009 after the oxygen is capped (paid (more...)
WATERLOO, Iowa -- VGM Group, Inc. has appointed James L. Phillips chief operating officer effective Aug 29. He will report to Chief Executive Officer Van G. Miller.
VGM members have begun to report various incidents relating to the implementation of competitive bidding this week. (See “CALL TO ACTION”, below.) (more...)
We haven’t lost! This morning, CEO and founder of the VGM Group, Inc. Van M (more...)
Lunch Bucket Follow Up - 6/26/2008 CONTINUE CONTACTING YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS! Those who missed the June 18 “Lunch Bucket with John Gallagher,” may view a recording of the Webcast beginning June 19 at www.vgm(more...)
Keep Up the Pressure in the Senate! Contact your senators today and urge them to oppose the additional cuts to oxygen! US Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121(more...)
The senate will vote on cloture, which is a method of closing a debate and causing an immediate vote to be taken. If the vote to end the debate is successful, Senate Majority Leader Harry R (more...)
The Democratic Leadership has just announced that the cloture vote on HR 6331 will take place tonight at around midnight. A cloture vote (requires 60 votes to pass) will end the debate and (more...)
HR 6331 Passes House! - 6/25/2008 We`re Halfway to a Full Delay of Competitive Bidding The Senate Finance Committee is close to finalizing their version of the “doc fix,” which could be voted as early as tomorrow. While the Baucus-Gr(more...)
On Wednesday, June 11, Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont. agreed to include the 18-month delay of the competitive bidding program into his “doc fix” bill (more...)
A lawsuit to challenge the Competitive Bidding Program for DME was filed on June 11, 2008 in the federal court in Dallas, Texas. Funded by Last Chance for Patient Choice, the lawsu (more...)
Due to severe flooding in the Waterloo, IA area... - 6/11/2008 VGM Heartland Conference Sessions Canceled Due to the rising flood waters in downtown Waterloo, we regretfully have to cancel the remaining Heartland Conference activities, with the exception of the Wednesday evening "Gala" (more...)
On June 2, 2008, Congressmen John Tanner, D-Tenn.; Dave Hobson, R-Oh.; and Jason Altmire, D-Penn., along with 132 co-signers sent a letter to the Ways and Means and the Ways and Means Health (more...)
The Small Business Subcommittee on Urban and Rural Entrepreneurship hearing on Competitive Bidding that was held today earned a “favorable response” from the members of the (more...)
MAY 14: LAST DAY TO APPLY FOR ROUND TWO ACCREDITATION! - 5/13/2008 CMS will not accept bids from HMES that have not applied. VGM is urging all homecare providers who are considering submitting a bid in "Round Two" of the competitive bidding program to verify that their facility has applied for DMEPOS acc (more...)
When Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in 2005 and VGM headed South through Mississippi to document how our members went above and beyond to take care of patients, one of our special m (more...)
Most likely the first of its kind in the home medical equipment industry, the brand new “Know Your Options, A Guide to Home Care Products and Home Accessibility” is a unique marketing tool for members (more...)
As members of the House Committee on Small Business, we are writing to request that you intervene with Centers for (more...)
Dems Back To Square One After Omnibus Plan Scuttled - 12/11/2007 "If anybody thinks there`s any longer a chance for getting out of here by the 14th, they`re smoking something," Democratic leaders headed back to the drawing board this week on a massive spending bill covering every Cabinet agency except the Pentagon, after a White House veto threat this wee (more...)
DMEPOS Enrollment vs. Accreditation - 11/20/2007 Is There a Difference? There has been some confusion over whether DMEPOS enrollment is different from CMS accreditation. If an HME company is enrolling as a DMEPOS supplier, (more...)
New NPI Rejections Effective October 29, 2007! - 10/29/2007 Medicare is rolling out its NPI crosswalk "tough love" program Since October 2, 2006, providers have been encouraged to submit both the NPI and Medicare legacy identifier (PIN) on their claims. During this timeframe providers were not penalized for invalid NPI/le (more...)
OIG Releases 2008 "Work Plan" - 10/9/2007 Includes "areas and issues that will be focused on in the coming year through audits, evaluations, and inspections" The HHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has posted its 2008 Work Plan. In the plan, the OIG addresses health care fraud, and includes a statement that t (more...)
The NSC "Top Ten" - 9/27/2007 Goal: Decrease processing times 80% of the enrollment documentation received by the National Supplier Clearinghouse (NSC) requires development for missing or incomplete information.
Most of this development is avoidable. The NSC en (more...)
Bidding Deadline Passes With Little Fanfare - 9/26/2007 Next step: Bidders should visit their individual CBSS home page to check on status Reports from various industry groups, including VGM, suggest that the September 25 first round competitive bidding cutoff passed with very few reports of glitches with the Competit (more...)
IMPORTANT COMPETITIVE BIDDING REMINDER - 9/25/2007 First-Round Bid Deadline Tonight; Official WebSite "Very Slow" VGM reminds all HME providers participating in "round one" of the the Medicare Competitive Bidding Program that all bids are due by 9 p.m. EDT tonight (September 25, 2007). (more...)
House SCHIP Supporters Standing Firm On Their Medicare Provisions - 9/7/2007 Provisions eliminate first-month purchase option for power wheelchairs and cap oxygen rental at 18 months House leaders and the chief architects of a House children`s healthcare bill held firm Wednesday, insisting that the measure retain Medicare portions that are not included in a smaller Senate package. (more...)
VGM Members Take Advantage of the August Recess - 8/31/2007 A special "thank you" to VGM`s Triangle Aftercare, A-1 Home Healthcare, Clay Home Medical & Seeley Medical These four companies have demonstrated that home medical equipment providers can be pro-active in the fight against competitive bi (more...)
VGM Schedules 2008 Competitive Bidding Seminars - 8/31/2007 “Competitive Bidding: Preparing for Round Two” WATERLOO, Iowa – The VGM Group, the nation’s largest member service organizations for Home Medical Equipment (HME) providers, has announced a new seminar series designed to assist (more...)
NSC Updates: Introducing the PTAN - 8/22/2007 Also: The DMEPOS Enrollment Process v. The Accreditation Process Just when you thought there could not possibly be another acronym to memorize, here comes the PTAN. (more...)
Seniors should prepare now for hurricane season - 8/22/2007 As Hurricane Katrina made painfully clear, older adults are among the most vulnerable when disaster strikes. That`s why it`s critical that older people, and those who care for them, prepare for emergencies. Help
may not be immediately available in the wake of a disaster. And pharmacies, (more...)
SCHIP: Grassley Calls for Preconference Talks To Limit Scope - 8/7/2007 VGM, industry leaders, to host Grassley reception in Waterloo August 21. According to an aide, Senate Finance Committee ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) would like to use the August Recess to begin preconference committee talks with the (more...)
NPI Registry Now Set to Begin September 4, 2007 - 8/7/2007 CMS extending time for providers to view/edit NPPES data NPPES health care provider data that are disclosable under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) will be disclosed to the public by CMS via the Internet. Data will be available in two forms: a query- (more...)
CALL TO ACTION!: H.R. 3162, “CHAMP Act of 2007” - 7/26/2007 New threats to Medicare policy for power wheelchairs and home oxygen therapy! The House Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means Committees have released H.R. 3162, the "Children`s Health and Medicare Protection Act," (CHAMP) which would eliminate the first-month purcha (more...)
CMS Extends Bid Deadline To July 27 - 7/20/2007 VGM notified earlier by Senate Finance Committee "The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is extending the bid submission deadline for the first round of the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics and Su (more...)
LEGISLATIVE ALERT - CALL TO ACTION - 7/16/2007 Please Persuade Your Legislators to Sign On to the Johnson-Allen Letter The Johnson-Allen Letter is being circulated for signatures, and it is imperative that we make immediate attempts to get our legislators to sign on. Even those who are not in the (more...)
Last Monday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) hosted a special bidders conference to address some technical issues with the Competitive Bid Submission System (CBSS).
(more...)
HHS Fights Durable Medical Equipment Fraud - 7/3/2007 Demonstration Project Targets Fraudulent Business Practices in South Florida and Southern California On July 2 HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced a two-year effort designed to further protect Medicare beneficiaries from fraudulent suppliers of DMEPOS. (more...)
VGM urges all HME providers to contact your Congressional representative’s office in your district and ask for their support of these three bills(more...)
CMS: National Provider ID info delayed a month - 6/28/2007 "CMS believes that health care providers need additional time" Federal officials say they will not give providers and others looking for National Provider Identifier data the information they seek until Aug. 1. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Servic (more...)
VGM`s Last Chance For Patient Choice Files Competitive Bidding Lawsuit - 6/18/2007 Hewitt, et al v Michael O. Levitt & Leslie V. Norwalk A lawsuit was filed June 12 in Federal court against CMS seeking to stop competitive bidding for durable medical equipment. The suit was filed June 12, 2007, in the Dallas Division of the U. (more...)
CMS releases NPI data notice - 5/30/2007 Providers may review information on Internet CMS released a display copy of the much-anticipated National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) Data Dissemination Notice (CMS-6060-N), which describes the policy for making NPPES (more...)
Senate Companion to Tanner-Hobson Bill Introduced - 5/24/2007 Senate bill lacks some provisions of House measure On May 17, Sens. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, introduced the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment Access Act of 2007 to soften some effects of national competitive bidding.
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BIDDING FOR DMEPOS IS OPEN! - 5/15/2007 All bids are due by 9:00 p.m. prevailing Eastern Time on July 13, 2007 The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is now soliciting bids for the first round of the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotic (more...)
Support Tanner-Hobson ... NOW - 5/14/2007 The Medicare Durable Medical Equipment Access Act of 2007 On March 29, 2007, Congressmen John Tanner (D-TN) and David Hobson (R-OH) introduced H.R.1845, the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment Access Act of 2007. This bill would amend the competitive acquisit (more...)
Washington Post Article Reports HME Fraud; 38 Arrested in South Florida - 5/11/2007 VGM, AAHomecare take action to ensure press, policymakers cognizant of industry`s efforts "Calling South Florida a particularly ripe area for Medicare fraud, federal prosecutors Wednesday announced a crackdown on sham medical care companies, inc (more...)
WASHINGTON — Kerry N. Weems, a longtime federal health official, is President Bush`s choice to oversee the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
If confirmed by the Senate, Weems would suc (more...)
Invacare and VGM join forces - 5/1/2007 Formal announcement at Medtrade Spring in Las Vegas "The multi-year agreement, with the largest full line manufacturer in the industry, is a major achievement for VGM", said VGM Group Inc. president Jim (more...)
Accreditation Completion Deadline Announced - 4/17/2007 "First round" bidders must be accredited by August 31, 2007 CMS has verified that an HME provider (supplier) who is in the "application process" for accreditation may submit a bid, but must be accredited by August 21, 2007 to be (more...)
I am writing this letter to all VGM Group Members in the first 10 Metropolitan Statistical Areas that will be affected by Competitive Bidding, and hope you will take the (more...)
Competitive Bidding "Final Rule" Released - 4/9/2007 UPDATE: Registration Now Open CMS issued on April 2 a final rule "that will reduce beneficiary out-of-pocket costs, improve the accuracy of Medicare’s payments for c (more...)
Tanner-Hobson Bill (H.R. 1845) Introduced - 4/2/2007 Would allow any HME provider to participate in Medicare at selected award price H.R. 1845 was introduced in Congress on March 29 by U.S. Representatives John Tanner (D-Tenn.), David Hobson (R-Ohio), and Mike Ross (D-Ark.). (more...)
Senate Budget Committee discussion suggests continuing HME "scams" - 3/24/2007 Senator Conrad calls for "crackdown" Below you will find AAHomecare’s write-up highlighting Senate Budget Committee Chairman and Senate Finance Committee member Kent Conrad`s fraud and abuse comments related to HME du (more...)
"Why they won`t be accredited " - 3/6/2007 HME News Poll Results Accreditation is too expensive, irrelevant, a waste of time and a problem to deal with on another day. So say providers who have yet to become accredited and don`t plan to begin the process in the for (more...)
vgm creative presents Off The Shelf Marketing, an innovative suite of marketing materials designed to help VGM Members promote their businesses easily, effectively and efficiently. (more...)
VGM has developed a Policies and Procedures Manual that is specifically designed for compliance with the imposition of quality standards and accreditation requirements of the Medicare Prescr (more...)
NSC Releases Updated "Model Forms" - 2/28/2007 Some confusion among providers results in updated forms required by supplier standards "The attached model forms were created in an effort to educate suppliers regarding certain supplier standards listed in 42 C.F.R .424.57(c)." (more...)
Former Rep. Bill Thomas Bill Thomas joins conservative think tank - 2/19/2007 "... he plans to continue to be involved in politics" The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) announced that Bill Thomas, the recently retired chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, has joined AEI as a visiting fellow.
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NSC Site Visit: What Should Suppliers Expect? - 2/19/2007 "Site visits, to many suppliers, seem to be one of the more daunting events that occur during the enrollment process" The site visit along with the application and supporting documentation are considered in making a determination to issue, deny or revoke a supplier’s billing privileges. The answer (more...)
Georgia Congressman Tom Price, M.D Reintroduces O2 Legislation - 2/15/2007 UPDATE: New Cosponsors! Thirteen more members of the U.S. House of Representatives have cosponsored the Home Oxygen Patient Protection Act (H.R. 621), which was introduced last month by Congressman Tom Price, MD (R (more...)
Georgia Congressman Tom Price, M.D Reintroduces O2 Legislation - 2/15/2007 UPDATE: New Cosponsors! Thirteen more members of the U.S. House of Representatives have cosponsored the Home Oxygen Patient Protection Act (H.R. 621), which was introduced last month by Congressman Tom Price, MD ( (more...)
Charlie Norwood Dies at 65 - 2/13/2007 Georgia Congressman was supporter of homecare issues After a long battle with a debilitating lung disease and subsequent lung cancer, Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-Ga.) died this morning at his home in Augusta. He was 65.
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VGM Group to become employee-owned - 2/12/2007 Employee Stock Ownership Program Announced WATERLOO, Iowa – For a moment, it resembled a political convention, complete with balloon drops from the two-story atrium, confetti shot from a cannon and lots of people dressed in red, whit (more...)
Homecare Medicare Cuts in Proposed ’08 Budget - 2/8/2007 Healthcare lobbyists not comforted by Dems’ bashing of Bush budget Although congressional Democrats quickly rejected the White House’s budget proposals calling for about $100 billion in spending reductions in Medicare and Medicaid, the healthcare providers (more...)
CMS Accreditation "Mandate" Officially Rescinded - 1/31/2007 HQAA confirms with CMS representative Note to Contractors: "The CR 5415, Transmittal 188 is rescinded and will not be replaced at this time. CR 5415 was sent via RO-4721 dated January 26, 2007. Please discard a (more...)
200 Miami HMEs Lose Provider Numbers, Homecare Magazine Reports - 1/23/2007 "Those actions...have put beneficiaries at risk" Some 200 HME providers in the Miami area have received letters from the National Supplier Clearinghouse suspending their provider numbers--and many, if not all, are without appropriate cause, attorney (more...)
Noridian "Taking Steps To Reduce Claim Inventory" - 1/16/2007 July 1 transition from Cigna (Region D contractor) results in backlog Last week Noridian Administrative Services (NAS) posted on its website an update on the claims backlog "and also provide some background". NAS became the DME MAC for Jurisdiction D on Octob (more...)
Growth in U.S. Health Care Spending Slows - 1/16/2007 Medicare spending rose 9.3% to $342 billion in 2005, following growth of 10.3% in 2004 The growth in U.S. health-care spending has declined to its slowest rate since 1999, largely because of a dramatic dip in the growth of prescription drug spending, government economists have reported. (more...)
The new revised CMS 1500 Form, which is the 08-05 version is effective January 1, 2007, but will not be mandated for suppliers to utilize until April 2, 2007. (more...)
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Monday announced a proposal that would require all state residents to obtain health insurance and would share the cost among employers, individuals, health (more...)
FIFTH CIRCUIT HOLDS PATIENT CANNOT BRING SUIT TO ENFORCE HIPAA - 1/3/2007 “HIPAA limits enforcement to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.” On November 13, 2006, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a decision in Acara v. Banks, confirming that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 19 (more...)
House Democrats To Offer Ethics Details - 1/3/2007 Rules may require new tax cuts or spending increases to be offset by other cuts With last-minute details still being hashed out, Democratic leaders plan to start voting on their much ballyhooed rules and ethics package for the 110th Congress Thursday afternoon, following the elec (more...)
Medicaid Whistle-Blower Law Goes Into Effect Jan. 1 - 12/27/2006 Health care accounts for 72% of all government fraud Many healthcare providers will have to teach their employees how to ferret out fraud and report it to the government under a federal law that takes effect next month.
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CMS Releases Competitive Bidding Instructions, Forms, for Comment - 12/22/2006 Also: CMS meets with new accreditors; MSA information released CMS has published in the Federal Register "Instructions For Completing Request For Bids (RFB) For Medicare Competitive Bidding Program" and a 30-day request for public comment of four biddin (more...)
President Bush Signs Bill To Stop Medicare Physician Reimbursement Rate Reduction - 12/21/2006 Maintains current level of Medicare physician reimbursements in 2007 President Bush on Wednesday signed into law a tax, trade and health care bill (HR 6111) that includes provisions to reverse a 5.1% reduction in Medicare physician reimbursements scheduled for 2007 and (more...)
Med-South Inc. staff steps up to the plate! - 12/18/2006 Van Miller: Donations to Last Chance For Patient Choice much appreciated Stewart Pace, Senior VP of Med-South, Inc. (Jasper, AL) and staff forwarded an early holiday gift to VGM this week...contributions to Last Chance For Patient Choice (LCPC). (more...)
Sen. Johnson Responsive After Surgery - 12/15/2006 If Johnson were to leave office, a replacement would be named by South Dakota`s Republican governor Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson was recovering without complications from emergency brain surgery to repair bleeding in his brain. (more...)
South Dakota Senator Hospitalized - 12/13/2006 Democrat Tim Johnson Suffers Possible Stroke; Could Senate Control Be Hanging In Balance? Democrat Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota was taken to a Washington hospital this afternoon after suffering a possible stroke, his office said in a statement.
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We don’t get all the news about legislative activity in the U.S. Congress out here in Iowa, but what we do get at this time of the year makes us very nervous. (more...)
Capitol Hill Update - 12/8/2006 Congress To Vote on Bill To Reverse Scheduled Reduction in Medicare Physician Reimbursements House leaders are schuled to vote on Friday plan to hold a vote on a bill (HR 6408) that includes the reversal of a scheduled reduction in Medicare physician reimbursements, but "passage in the S (more...)
CALL TO ACTION! - 12/5/2006 Call your Senators and your Representative in Congress today. There is still a chance that the HME industry will be utilized as an offset to the reduction to physician payments. Providers need to be vigilant and contact their elected officials
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VGM and Jane W. Bunch join forces in Atlanta for Billing Boot Camp - 11/30/2006 December 12, 2006 VGM Education is pleased to host an exceptional educational training event in Atlanta. Jane Bunch will be presenting her acclaimed Billing Boot Camp for employees focused in customer service, billing (more...)
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced the names of eleven national accreditation organizations that will accredit suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orth (more...)
CALL TO ACTION! - 11/20/2006 Oxygen reductions could still be included in a lame duck session "Doc Fix" Last week VGM executives initiated a conference call with Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA) of which the ensuing discussion suggested that, regardless of Congress passing a con (more...)
Pride Meets with HHS Secretary Leavitt to Discuss PMD Fee Schedules - 11/15/2006 CMS to make Additional Corrections to Fees that will be Retroactive to Nov. 15 Representatives of Pride Mobility Products Corp. met Thursday with HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt and Senator Arlen Specter to discuss the PMD Fee Schedules. (more...)
CMS-1304-F: Final rule - DRA changes to Medicare oxygen; capped rental items - 11/7/2006 Rule also includes 3.3 % market basket increase for home health services The final rule implements Section 5101 of the DRA that requires suppliers to transfer title of oxygen equipment to the beneficiary after 36 months of rental payments and capped rental items after 13 m (more...)
NOVEMBER LAME DUCK SESSION "101" - 11/7/2006 Q & A Summary, Oxygen Talking Points, For All HME Providers What is a Lame Duck Session?
A Lame duck session is when the United States Congress (or only one chamber thereof) meets following the November general elections (and before the ina (more...)
Government Data Refutes CMS Claims that Utilization of Mobility Benefit Is on the Rise - 10/27/2006 Utilization Sharply Declined Since 2003; No Support for CMS Claims of Increases The power mobility industry said on October 26 that Medicare claims for power wheelchairs have declined significantly since reaching a peak in 2003, and that government data directly refutes the Cente (more...)
WASHINGTON -- Patricia Meier, a 63-year-old quadriplegic and Medicare recipient, needs to replace the wheelchair she has used for five ye (more...)
OIG Squelches Manufacturer- Provider Partnerships - 10/17/2006 Proposed relationship poses `substantial risk` Durable medical equipment manufacturers must be wary of partnering too closely with suppliers, says the HHS Office of Inspector General in a new advisory opinion.
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Medicare PMC Cuts May Force Lay-Offs - 10/12/2006 Cuts of 21 Percent to 41 Percent Will Restrict Access, and Put Some Suppliers Out of Business VGM/U.S. Rehab member Black Bear Medical, the region`s leading supplier of durable medical equipment, said today that the 21 percent to 41 percent cut in Medicare reimbursements for power wheelchairs (more...)
VGM Forms Homecare Providers of America - 9/28/2006 Member companies will have the opportunity to participate as either a network member or a subcontractor VGM has submitted an application to become a Network Primary Supplier on behalf of VGM/US Rehab/Nationwide Respiratory Members under the provisions of the Medicare Modernization Act and the proposed r (more...)
Medicare Issues Revised Local Coverage Determinations (LCD) for Power Mobility Devices - 9/27/2006 Implementation Date of New Codes and LCD delayed until November 15, 2006 As a result of significant industry efforts to obtain modifications to the Local Coverage Determination (LCD) for Power Mobility Devices (PMDs) that was released on August 15, 2006, the Medicare Durab (more...)
Senate companion bill to H.R. 3559 introduced - 9/26/2006 Hatch, Conrad: Medicare Durable Medical Equipment Access Act Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Kent Conrad, D-N.D., have introduced a companion to the Hobson-Tanner bill in the Senate. The complete statement follows.
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Senator Grassley pulls consideration of 13 month O2 cap - 9/25/2006 VGM, Iowa HME provider community cited as "effective" ATLANTA - At the AAH Humanitarian Dinner held Tuesday evening at Medtrade, Mal Mixon, CEO of Invacare, reported that Iowa Senator Charles Grassley “had heard from his constituents” regarding his Sept (more...)
American Association for Homecare Disputes Oxygen Therapy Study by HHS - 9/25/2006 Current Medicare Oxygen Policy and Further Erosions of Benefit Put Patients at Risk A government study about the costs of providing oxygen therapy in the home is deeply flawed according to the American Association for Homecare. Moreover, the further erosion of the oxygen benefit reco (more...)
HIPAA Privacy Law Nets No Fines - 9/13/2006 Job of enforcement up to HHS; about 5,000 cases remain open In the three years since Americans gained federal protection for their private medical information, the Bush administration has received thousands of complaints alleging violations but has not imposed (more...)
Contact your elected officials! - 9/8/2006 "Please Cosponsor H.R. 5513 & S. 3814, The Home Oxygen Patient Protection Act" VGM and the American Association for Homecare enthusiastically support the Home Oxygen Patient Protection Act (HOPP Act). The bill may help a million oxygen patients to breathe easier by easing the bu (more...)
White House: Medicare chief McClellan to resign - 9/5/2006 Effective in October; a successor has not been named Mark McClellan, who oversaw the biggest change in Medicare since its inception, said Tuesday he is resigning and will likely go work for a think tank.
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Diabates: "Raise awareness about detection and management" - 8/31/2006 Diabetes Aware Generational Surveyevaluated 2,000 across three generations A groundbreaking national survey released today looking at three generations of diabetes sufferers revealed that adults ages 18-40, who are at risk for or living with type 2 diabetes, are lagging behi (more...)
Congressman Phil Gingrey (R-GA) visits VGM Member Hi-Tech Healthcare - 8/31/2006 "...to learn more about the effect the caps on home oxygen and medical equipment will surely have on constituents..." Congressman and Physician Phil Gingrey and staffers Jenifer Healy and John O’Keefe visit Hi-Tech Healthcare’s Marietta office to discuss legislation that will negatively impact seniors receiving home (more...)
Elderly people make up about 12.1% of the nation’s household population, according to an update of the 2000 Census. (more...)
Medicare To Reduce Payments to Pharmacies Compounding Inhalation Drugs - 8/28/2006 FDA previously "warned" three large pharmacies Beginning in January 2007, CMS will make "significantly lower" Medicare payments to pharmacies that make compounded inhalation drugs for patients with respiratory needs, according to a lette (more...)
DRA 9-Day Payment Hold - 8/25/2006 Affects all providers & suppliers who bill Medicare contractors. A brief hold will be placed on Medicare payments for all claims during the last 9 days of the Federal fiscal year (Sept 22 through Sept 30, 2006). (more...)
MEDICARE PROPOSED RULE REVAMPS O2 REIMBURSEMENT - 8/24/2006 CMS:“…this equates to an average reduction in (oxygen/equipment) payment…of approximately 22 percent.” On July 27, CMS released proposed rule 1304-P, which effectively revamps the oxygen classification system by splitting stationary and portable oxygen contents into two separate payment classes. (more...)
CMS PUBLISHES FINAL QUALITY STANDARDS - 8/22/2006 And...accreditation organization application solicitation now published CMS has published new quality standards for suppliers of Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS). "Issuing these new quality standards is an important step in ou (more...)
The following is a reprint of an interview with Black Bear co-owner and president Jim Greatorex, of Portland, Maine.
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Study, commissioned by VGM, supports Hobson-Tanner Bill - 8/15/2006 Would preserve patient choice, benefit small businesses and still allow CMS to save money via competitive bidding WATERLOO, Iowa - A university economist released a study last week that bolsters the industry`s argument against competitive bidding as envisioned by CMS.
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NCB: VGM members active in Atlanta with legislators; educating hospitals - 8/15/2006 Todd Tyson (Hi Tech Healthcare Inc) - "Medicare: Reducing Benefits and Eliminating Choices" "The Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003 and the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005 are about to introduce Metro Atlanta Medicare beneficiaries to further reductions in their benefits and a (more...)
HME providers encouraged to submit NPRM comments - 8/11/2006 Deadline remains June 30, 2006; sample issues, talking points offered. VGM, AAHomecare, state and regional associations and other industry stakeholders encourage all HME providers to review key issues within the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding competitive bidding (more...)
In response to the Deficit Reduction Act CMS is proposing many changes to the Oxygen Therapy Benefit. In its attempt to answer many questions providers have had relating to the DRA. CMS in its propos (more...)
FINAL RULE ON ACCREDITATION OF DME SUPPLIERS RELEASED - 8/11/2006 314 page document also includes PPS rule; VGM offers "DME only" condensed version The final rule implements requirements for DME suppliers to be accredited by independent accrediting organizations and to meet new quality standards in order to bill the Medicare program for various e (more...)
Senate Companion Bill to H.R. 5513 Introduced - 8/7/2006 S. 3814 would repeal DRA oxygen provisions Pat Roberts (R-KS), and four co-sponsors introduced legislation in the Senate last Thursday that would reverse the DRA provisions of capped Medicare oxygen rental at 36 months and transfer of equipmen (more...)
Advance Determination of Medicare Coverage – Wheelchairs - 7/12/2006 Certificates of Medical Necessity for Manual and Power Wheelchair Bases were discontinued effective April 1, 2006 As a result, questions have arisen about what information ought to be submitted to support an ADMC request.
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NSCAC develops format to facilitate site inspection concerns - 7/11/2006 "Tracking Form" to document events with Overland Solutions The National Supplier Clearinghouse Advisory Committee (NSCAC) is an organization comprised of individuals that are representing their respective DMERC Advisory Committees/Councils (DAC) in all four r (more...)
Study supports collection of patient race, ethnicity data - 7/5/2006 The government should encourage healthcare providers to collect information on patients’ race and ethnicity, according to a new study. Collecting this kind of data, when used in a context to improve healthcare quality, “does not violate federal or state laws or increase the risk of race-based malpractice claims,” according to a polic (more...)
Eighty percent of Congress reads Roll Call magazine, so that is where Last Chance for Patient Choice ran an ad June 19 explaining what the oxygen cap and competitive bidding will do to peo
Last Chance for Patient Choice plans Congressional HME Marathon Event - 6/5/2006 Please contact John Gallagher for more information! Last Chance for Patient Choice, a non-for-profit organization to support the fight against so-called “competitive” bidding and other onerous health-care legislation, will sponsor a series of Congressi (more...)
HIPAA: Changing your notice of privacy practices? - 6/1/2006 These tips will help ensure compliance! Since the privacy rule’s compliance date, organizations have had a chance to see their programs in action. Today’s better understanding of the rule and its requirements—as well as changes in state law (more...)
VGM members seek Hatch`s aid to prevent competitive bidding implementation - 6/1/2006 Alpine Home Medical Equipment, Peterson Medical receive "promise to study the issue" from Utah Senator Local providers of home medical equipment set aside their competitive interests Tuesday and joined forces to lobby for help in stopping legislation deemed detrimental to the industry from taking effec (more...)
We’re fighting for a principle - 5/16/2006 and for those who can’t fight for themselves Editor’s note: The following commentary by the president of Last Chance for Patient Choice appeared in the May issue of HME News (page 19). The points raised by Mike Mallaro are ones that need to be m (more...)
Hobson-Tanner Bill Tops 100 Co-Sponsors - 5/1/2006 Next Priority: Getting a companion bill in the Senate The Hobson-Tanner Bill is now up to 101 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, enough to introduce a Senate companion bill, observers say. The bill, officially known as H.R. 3559, was introd (more...)
Medicare Competitive Bidding Information - 5/1/2006 Update! VGM Offers Legislative & Regulatory PowerPoint Presentation As virtually all HM providers are now aware, CMS has published its proposed rule to phase in the competitive acquisition program for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DM (more...)
COMPETITIVE BIDDING NPRM RELEASED BY CMS - 4/24/2006 60-day comment period -- Proposed MSA Selection Methodology Included -- "Small Business", "Opportunity To Bid Via Network" Defined & Discussed The long awaited NPRM (Notice of Proposed Rule Making for the national competitive bidding for DMEPOS has been released. (more...)
Portland Hospital Gives Acutely Ill A Homecare Option - 4/20/2006 To Free Up Valuable Beds Care Is Brought to Patient; An Alternative for Elderly PORTLAND, Ore. - Paul Willer, who recently suffered his second heart attack, looked away as a nurse gingerly stepped over a mound of unwashed clothes on the floor to administer an intravenous drug. If (more...)
Sales Training Headed to Houston - 4/4/2006 Still time to register! Sales Training University focused on training home medical equipment sales professionals is being presented by nationally known speaker, Louis C. Feuer, MA, MSW, in Houston, April 17-18, 2006. Louis i (more...)
Options, a new catalog for patients, caregivers and referral sources, is hot off the press, just in time for Mother’s and Father’s days.
It can be mailed, left behind at setups, dropped in phys (more...)
VGM HEARTLAND CONFERENCE 2006 - 3/31/2006 The Countdown has begun! The Heartland Conference, produced by The VGM Group, is a three-day educational conference that offers VGM members the opportunity to further your knowledge, learn what’s new in the industry, earn CEU (more...)
Billing & Reimbursement Road Show enroute to the Music City! - 3/30/2006 Sponsored by MedForce Technologies Does Medicare billing have you singing the blues? The VGM Group Billing and Reimbursement Road Show is traveling to Nashville on April 11, 2006. Presented by, Peggy Walker, RN, Billing and Reimburseme (more...)
Information and FAQs Regarding Changes in HME Ownership - 3/15/2006 Tips from VGM and the National Supplier Clearinghouse While there may be a variety of legal definitions and purchase options, most of the changes of ownership received by the NSC are completed using one of the following methods, which are defined as foll (more...)
California VGM Members Featured in PMD Article - 3/13/2006 "...some dealers took advantage of loopholes...to put patients into more powerful chairs than they needed..." Longtime VGM Members Ehlers Health Supply (1990) and Lodi Sick Room (1998) were interviewed by the Stockton (CA) Record whose feature story reviewed government scrutinizing distribution of powe (more...)
The Jersey Association of Medical Equipment Services says YES to VGM`s plan! - 3/6/2006 "We stand with VGM and urge every other state association to do the same" The Jersey Association of Medical Equipment Services (JAMES) would like to express its enthusiastic support for VGM`s Last Chance for Patient Choice initiative. It has become clear that the HME indust (more...)
NEWS FLASH – THOMAS TO RETIRE - 3/6/2006 “Today, I am announcing that I will not seek reelection to the United States Congress” Rep. Bill Thomas (R-CA), the fiery chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, announced his retirement today, ending the Congressional tenure of one of Capitol Hill’s most polarizing yet effectiv (more...)
WASHINGTON -- President Bush`s "ownership society" is coming to one corner of Medicare: Live long enough, and a patient could have his (more...)
U.S. Health Spending Will Continue To Rise, Reaching 20% Of GDP By 2015 - 2/27/2006 Home health spending growth "expected to remain strong" U.S. health care spending will increase by an average of 7.2% annually until 2015, when spending will reach $4 trillion and account for 20% of the gross domestic product, according to a report release (more...)
VGM Member Freeport Medical Equipment Featured In Medicaid Series - 2/21/2006 Carolyn Sluiter: "Illinois Medicaid system in disarray" That`s what Carolyn Sluiter told sympathizers at a recent gathering where vendors, patients and care providers brainstormed how to get the government`s attention about how slow the Medicaid reimbursem (more...)
House Democratic Leader Wants Budget Probe - 2/17/2006 One lawsuit has been filed challenging the bill`s constitutionality. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi demanded an ethics investigation Thursday into the passage of deficit-reduction legislation that President Bush recently signed, a new twist in an episode of Capit (more...)
DEFICIT REDUCTION ACT FACES “thorny constitutional issues” - 2/15/2006 Lawsuits requesting declaratory judgment filed in Alabama A federal judge in Mobile, Alabama was asked Monday to rule that the Deficit Reduction Act is unconstitutional. A request for declaratory judgment was filed Monday by Jim Zeigler a Mobile, Alabama att (more...)
Morning Edition, February 13, 2006 · The $39 billion deficit-reduction bill signed by President Bush last week was nearly a year in the making. It passed in the House by a mere two votes, and it passe (more...)
Small Typo, Big Headache For Republicans - 2/9/2006 Oxygen, DME capped rental provision errors in DRA ... Another vote or technical correction?? According to the Senate aide, a "poor woman in the basement" clerk`s office typed in "36 months," instead of "13 months" related to Medicare payments for oxygen within th (more...)
Sales Training University Coming to Atlanta - 2/8/2006 Still time to register! Sales Training University is focused on training home medical equipment sales professionals and is being presented by nationally known speaker, Louis C. Feuer, MA, MSW. Louis is a former referral sour (more...)
House vote 216-214 - DRA now to President´s desk for signature. - 2/2/2006 Vote generally along party lines; attention shifts to HR 3559 The House on Wednesday voted 216-214 to approve the fiscal year 2006 budget reconciliation bill (S 1932), which contains more than $39 billion in cuts, including $6.4 billion from Medicare and $4.8 (more...)
LCPC rally sheds light on Medicare cuts - 1/30/2006 Last Chance For Patient`s Choice Garners National Media Attention BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Under sunny skies, Last Chance for Patient Choice’s rally at U.S. Rep. Bill Thomas’s office helped shed light on hidden provisions in the Budget Reconciliation Act that will dras (more...)
Oxygen Cap Issue Continues To Generate Media Interest - 1/30/2006 Top-rated NBC affiliate airs "Cuts To Oxygen Tanks" Springfield, Missouri KY3 TV aired last week a compelling segment on its evening news that featured provider Ed Getty (Physicians Medical Home Care) and one of his patients, Mary Proffitt, who has bee (more...)
VGM Commentary: What we think about anti-Thomas rally - 1/25/2006 LCPC running TV commercial in Bakersfield this week WATERLOO, Iowa – Nobody should be surprised by Last Chance for Patient Choice’s rally at the Bakersfield, Calif., office of U.S. Rep. Bill Thomas, the powerful chairman of the House Ways and Means Com (more...)
VGM, the new exclusive distributor of Belson/Hanwright HME DVDs and videos, is announcing this exciting, new interactive DVD at a special sale price to VGM members. Hurry to get your own copy – offer (more...)
Sunny Daytona Beach Welcomes Road Show and Tech Training - 1/16/2006 Still time to register! VGM`s Billing and Reimbursement Road Show will kick off 2006 in sunny Daytona Beach, Florida on February 6. The Road Show is presented by Peggy Walker, RN, Billing and Reimbursement Advisor for VGM`s (more...)
Hastert Sets Final Budget Reconciliation Vote - Feb. 1 - 1/12/2006 AARP, with 36 million members, "not conceding defeat" House Speaker Hastert has tentatively set a vote Feb. 1 on a $39.7 billion five-year deficit reduction package to finish action on the bill after a procedural maneuver by Senate Democrats late last mo (more...)
Another VGM Member Gets Involved! - 1/11/2006 Sunbelt Medical Supply & Oxygen finds Congressional aides "surprised" with oxygen provision The following is a reprint of a message received by John Gallagher, VGM`s Government Relations VP.
Dear John,
finally picked up the phone yesterday and called my local Congressm (more...)
MedForce Technologies to sponsor 2006 Road Shows - 1/5/2006 Next Road Show Coming to Daytona Beach! Esther Apter, CEO of MedForce Technologies, Inc., has announced they will be sponsoring VGM’s 2006 Billing and Reimbursement Road Shows, presented by Peggy Walker, RN, Billing and Reimbursement Adviso (more...)
Budget Bill S. 1932: Respiratory Care Associates Takes Action - 1/5/2006 VGM Member, Home Care Alliance of Virginia associate provides good example "I just wanted to let you know that my company sent out over 400 letters to Medicare beneficiaries we are currently serving or had recently served to inform them of the pending cap on oxygen in t (more...)
Owner`s Strategic Forum Will Launch in January - 12/29/2005 Owners and General Managers Won`t Want to Miss This One! The VGM Group and REACH Development Services announce the first “Owner’s Strategic Growth Forum,” a half-day workshop designed for HME business owners and general managers who are serious about growin (more...)
Budget Bill S. 1932: Many COPD Caucus Members Voted "Yea" - 12/29/2005 VGM urges letter writing campaign to these members of Congress Within this article you will find the list of Senators and Representatives who voted for the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, (S. 1932) and who serve on the COPD Caucus. Because they serve on this caucu (more...)
Proposed Decision Memo For Home Oxygen Below Current Requirements - 12/27/2005 Beneficiaries must be enrolled in approved clinical trial. CMS is seeking public comment on the agency`s proposed determination that there is sufficient evidence to conclude that the home use of oxygen is reasonable and necessary for Medicare beneficiaries wi (more...)
Points Of Order Return Budget-Cutting Package To House - 12/22/2005 But most likely under procedures that will prevent revisiting the homecare provisions The Senate approved a $39.7 billion deficit reduction package Wednesday. The legislation represents the first attempt at restraining the growth of entitlement spending since 1997, but Republicans w (more...)
"IT’S NOT OVER TILL IT’S OVER" - 12/21/2005 Reconciliation bill passes Senate narrowly The Senate voted 51-50 on Wednesday, December 21, to approve the fiscal year 2006 spending cut package (S 1932), with Vice President Dick Cheney returning from a trip in the Middle East to cast a tie- (more...)
Budget recon conference report passes House: $2.9 billion cut from DME - 12/19/2005 Capped Rental Provision Now Includes Oxygen Equipment Early Monday morning the House of Representatives passed the budget reconciliation bill, (aka the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, S. 1932). Provisions in the final version approved by House-Senate conf (more...)
NUSSLE COMES TO AID OF DME INDUSTRY - 12/19/2005 Extends O2 capped rental, removes tank repair provisions In November, VGM met with Chairman Jim Nussle (R-IA) and his chief of staff to emphasize that DME should "not be hammered" within the upcoming budget reconciliation bill. (more...)
Owner`s Strategic Forum Will Launch in January - 12/15/2005 Owners and General Managers Won`t Want to Miss This One! REACH Development Services and The VGM Group announce the first “Owner’s Strategic Growth Forum,” a half-day workshop designed for HME business owners and general managers who are serious about growin (more...)
TIME TO SCHEDULE A “MEET & GREET” WITH YOUR CONGRESSPERSON - 12/12/2005 Winter break continues into later January Currently both the House of Representatives and the Senate plan to meet for final votes this Friday (December the 16th) and then head home for the holiday break. Now is the time to contact your congre (more...)
Holidays a “challenging time” for diabetics - 12/9/2005 However, people with diabetes can enjoy family feasts with little harm Holidays are a time when it seems every gathering includes a favorite family dish to savor or a new, rich dessert to taste. The only calculation most people have to make is to guess how long they`ll (more...)
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita – Transportation of Evacuees with Medical Needs - 11/29/2005 HHS develops "Fact Sheet" & FAQs for providers As you receive inquiries from other providers or beneficiaries seeking to discharge a patient (or to help those patients return home), you should provide them with the information contained in this sp (more...)
Sales Training University Coming To St. Louis - 11/29/2005 Sponsored by Kendall, Access Point Medical and VGM Forbin The final stop in 2005 for VGM`s Sales Training University will be in St. Louis, December 6-7, 2005. Louis Feuer, MS, MSW, will present a day and a half conference dedicated to meeting the training ne (more...)
OIG Review of Home Oxygen Services Survey Due November 28 - 11/22/2005 Providers Should Consider Filing 30-Day Extension Many HME providers have contacted VGM recently with questions and concerns regarding their receipt of the "OIG Review of Services for Home Oxygen Equipment" Survey, which requests supplier i (more...)
OIG Unveils 2006 Work Plan - 11/21/2005 Excerpts from DME, Part B Drugs- "Medical necessity", pricing, to be scrutinized The OlG Work Plan sets forth various projects to be addressed during the fiscal year by the Office of Audit Services, Office of Evaluation and Inspections, Office of Investigations, and Office of Coun (more...)
VGM To Offer Policies & Procedures/QI Electronic Manual - 11/21/2005 Developed for compliance with MMA quality standards VGM has announced the development of comprehensive, electronic (editable/CD ROM) Policies & Procedures and Quality Management/Performance Improvement manuals. These products were specifically designe (more...)
House Passes Budget Bill With Two-Vote Margin - 11/18/2005 HME effect: capped rental provision in Senate reconciliation bill now back in play After an unusually long buildup and a heated floor debate, House Republicans passed a $50 billion spending reconciliation bill with relative ease Friday morning following a final round of legislative (more...)
Medicare drug plan worries families - 11/16/2005 Sign-ups began Tuesday; many confused Enrollment in Medicare`s new prescription drug benefit began Tuesday, but the nuts and bolts of the program remain a mystery to many senior citizens and their families despite months of promotion and (more...)
Congress stalls on spending, tax cuts - 11/11/2005 Grassley ( R-IA), citing no progress in getting moderate Republicans on board, tables vote on $68.8 billion tax-cut package Efforts to cut spending for social programs and extend tax cuts that benefit wealthier Americans hit roadblocks in Congress on Thursday. (more...)
VGM Meets With Rep. Jim Nussle, Chairman - House Budget Committee - 11/11/2005 Requests "fair treatment for the many small businesses involved in this service-based business" On Friday afternoon a contingent of VGM executives, Iowa healthcare providers and guests hosted Congressman Nussle and his staff at the home of Van Miller, CEO and founder of the VGM Group.
Power Mobility Devices – Grace Period for Implementation of the IFR - 11/9/2005 And...VGM offers template physician letter and "education tool" On August 26, 2005, CMS published an Interim Final Rule (IFR) in the Federal Register that established documentation requirements for the coverage of power wheelchairs and power operated vehicles. (more...)
Senate Approves $36B in Spending Cuts - 11/7/2005 Senate Approves Amendment to Discontinue Capped Rental Option; Power Wheelchairs Exempt The Senate on Thursday voted 52-47 to approve the fiscal year 2006 Senate budget reconciliation bill (S 1932). The legislation, approved on Oct. 26 by the Senate Budget Committee, includes about $10 (more...)
CMS: 2006 Dispensing Fees for Inhalation Therapy Drugs Drastically Reduced - 11/3/2005 "...care management activities...do not fall within the scope of a dispensing fee" On November 2 the final rule was released that updates the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. The final rule modified Medicare payment for dispensing fees for inhalation therapy drugs provided using ne (more...)
WHITE HOUSE THREATENS VETO OF SENATE RECONCILIATION BILL - 11/2/2005 Rx drug coverage is concern, but veto would affect DME capped rental provision The White House has threatened to veto the Senate budget reconciliation bill (S 1932) if lawmakers do not remove a provision that would phase out a fund created two years ago to encourage insurers to (more...)
GRASSROOTS ACTION NEEDED! - 11/2/2005 Urge Congress to strike the capped rental provision from budget reconciliation The Senate version of the budget reconciliation package includes a section that would discontinue the capped rental option for home medical equipment, eliminating the Medicare beneficiary’s choice of (more...)
GRASSROOTS ACTION NEEDED! - 11/2/2005 Urge Congress to strike the capped rental provision from budget reconciliation The Senate version of the budget reconciliation package includes a section that would discontinue the capped rental option for home medical equipment, eliminating the Medicare beneficiary’s choice of (more...)
Finance Committee Passes $10 Billion in Cuts for Medicare, Medicaid - 10/27/2005 And...House Energy and Commerce Committee To Vote Thursday on Budget Package With Medicaid Cuts The Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday voted 11-9 along party lines to approve a fiscal year 2006 budget reconciliation package that would reduce Medicaid and Medicare spending by $10 billion over fi (more...)
Jim Smith of Texas DME Wins Big at Medtrade - 10/27/2005 New VGM Vendor Access Point Medical "Draws" Attention “What’s new, fun to buy and low-cost?” was the riddle on the entry blank, and the right answer soon became clear: Access Point Medical products and the hip new Scion from Toyota. (more...)
SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE TO VOTE ON BUDGET RECONCILIATION - 10/25/2005 Homecare Community Responds to Capped Rental, Service Issues; VGM Personally Delivers Letter to Grassley The Finance Committee acts Tuesday on its $10 billion Medicare and Medicaid savings plan, although early indications are that Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, might not have the vo (more...)
Medtrade Update - 10/19/2005 VGM takes off gloves in NCB fight...and more BOOTH 1941 - The VGM Group announced an aggressive campaign yesterday to stop competitive bidding by contributing $50,000 to a non-profit group it created to lobby against the Medicare reimbursement c (more...)
I have decided to fight . . . Have you? - 10/19/2005 Comments from Van Miller at Medtrade We appear to be at a "tipping point" in the world of HME. We can go one way from here or we can go the other. I won`t try to be overly dramatic. No matter what happens in the delivery or pay (more...)
Johns Hopkins: Longer hospital stays doesn`t mean better care - 10/6/2005 ..."Most patients would rather not be in a hospital, preferring to return home as quickly as possible...to finish recuperating in the comfort of their own surroundings...." According to Hopkins` chief of surgery, Julie Freischlag, M.D., "Heading home from the hospital after a traumatic illness is a very emotional time for patients and their families. It is a major s (more...)
Senators want delay of power wheelchair rules enactment - 10/4/2005 Grassley: "It seems as if CMS is trying to finish a puzzle with some essential pieces missing" Three Republican senators have asked Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mark B. McClellan to delay implementation of new Medicare rules for power wheelchairs. Finance Committee Cha (more...)
VGM becomes the exclusive distributor of Belson/Hanwright HME training videos - 9/23/2005 Special Limited Time DVD/VHS Offer - Accreditation of HME Services: 2006 VGM, the new exclusive distributor of Belson/Hanwright HME DVD`s and Videos, is announcing this exciting, new interactive DVD at a special sale price (40% off) to VGM members. Order your copy today - (more...)
Hurricane Katrina is one of the biggest and most devastating natural disasters to hit the United States in recent history. The impact of the storm has left a path of destruction that is difficult to c (more...)
Homecare Providers and Patients Alike Hit Hard by Katrina - 9/6/2005 "...homecare providers often join the ranks of emergency first responders along with police and firefighters" Mike Hamilton, executive director of the Alabama Durable Medical Equipment Association, said, “The biggest problem we have right now is the lack of communication. Even cell phones aren`t working in ma (more...)
VGM Announces "Hurricane Katrina Program" - 9/1/2005 VGM offers array of support services including "HME Hotline", www.HMEhurricane.com & Member dues waiver option VGM wishes to express its concern and support to all homecare providers affected by Hurricane Katrina. We recognize the severe challenges and difficulties you are experiencing in the storm`s aftermath (more...)
CMS considering expanding coverage criteria for home oxygen - 8/29/2005 VGM members urged to comment on reconsideration of 12-year-old policy The reconsideration will determine whether there is enough evidence to include beneficiaries with arterial oxygen partial pressure measurements in the range of 56 to 65 mm Hg. The present policy, whi (more...)
Medtrade is coming! - 8/29/2005 Reserve your hotel room now! VGM has a limited number of rooms available under the VGM block until Sept. 28th.You must hurry to get these rooms and rates!!
Owner`s Strategic Growth Forum - 8/22/2005 September 12 - Atlanta, GA This forum is designed for OWNERS and GENERAL MANAGERS who are serious about growing their health care business. Presented by Mike Mallaro, CFO, The VGM Group and Vince Crew, Founder, REACH Developme (more...)
Samuel Clay of Clay Medical, Inc (Petersburg, VA) reports that he was able to schedule a meeting with his congressman (Rep. Randy Forbes, R-VA) during this last week. VGM asked Sam to put in his own w (more...)
Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle Meets With VGM to Discuss H.R. 3559 - 8/9/2005 "We`ve met with our Congressman...have you??" As most are now aware, on July 28 Congressmen David Hobson (R-OH) and John Tanner (D-TN) introduced The Medicare Durable Medical Equipment Access Act of 2005. The bill would remedy many of the “compet (more...)
Grassley Bill Addresses Accessibility, Cost - 8/4/2005 S.1602: "promotes keeping beneficiaries in their homes and not in `the home`" Senate Finance Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has introduced a bill (S 1602) that is intended to help reduce the cost and increase the accessibility of long-term care for elderly U.S. residen (more...)
Reps. Hobson & Tanner Introduce HME Bill - 7/29/2005 "Urge Congressional Support" On July 28, 2005, Congressmen David Hobson (R-OH) and John Tanner (D-TN) introduced The Medicare Durable Medical Equipment Access Act of 2005. This bill would remedy many of the “competitive acquisiti (more...)
Billing and Reimbursement Road Show Travels to Denver, Colorado! - 7/29/2005 There is still time to register. Confused By Medicare Billing? Get the answers to your questions at the Billing and Reimbursement Road Show Coming to Denver, Colorado, August 9, 2005. Presented by Peggy Walker, RN, Billing Advise (more...)
Senate HELP Committee Approves Joint Measure To Expand Use of Health IT - 7/26/2005 Establishes a "quality measurement system" The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Wednesday approved by voice vote a measure (S 1418) intended to expand the use of information technology among health care providers (more...)
Portable oxygen OK for airline passengers-FAA - 7/18/2005 New rule permits, but does not require, airlines to allow O2. The rule is an especially significant victory for more than one million Americans who have medical conditions -- such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ), which includes emphysema and ch (more...)
VGM’s EZ Design is Back Online! - 7/11/2005 Announcing Version 2 The VGM Group is excited to rollout the updated and improved EZ Design! EZ Design, a member exclusive online brochure generator, empowers you to better market your business. Now, with the choice of (more...)
Sales Training University Visits New York - 7/7/2005 There`s Still Time to Register! For the first time a Sales Training University focused on training home medical equipment sales professionals is being presented by nationally known industry consultant and speaker, Louis C. Feuer, MA (more...)
CALL TO ACTION! - 7/7/2005 Visit With Your Members of Congress This Summer Members of both the House and Senate are now home for the July Fourth Recess. Many members of Congress will be spending time in their home districts until the 11th, and then again the entire month of (more...)
Patient Entrapments Prompt Recall of Enclosed Beds - 6/28/2005 Vail Products` "canopy-like" padded beds The FDA is notifying consumers that Vail Products, Inc., Toledo, Ohio, is initiating a nationwide recall of approximately 5,000 "enclosed" bed systems. The Vail Products enclosed bed systems (more...)
Congress Clears Bill to Modify Ban on Junk Faxes - 6/28/2005 Senate had passed "Junk Fax Prevention Act" ( S. 714) on 6/24 On Tuesday the House cleared legislation that would ensure businesses can continue to send unsolicited faxes to customers with whom they have an established relationship. The measure now heads to the (more...)
Thank you for contacting me with your concerns about competitive bidding for durable medical equipment (DME)...I am strongly opposed this mis(more...)
U.S. Home Healthcare Products Market to Surpass $7.5 Billion by 2009 - 6/22/2005 However, some dispute researcher`s findings According to a new study released last week from Kalorama Information, the U.S. market for home healthcare products will show steady growth through the end of the decade to pass the $7.5 billion mark (more...)
Putting the boom in spending - 6/22/2005 Baby boomers power pegged at $2 trillion, research says The annual spending power of baby boomers is estimated at more than $2 trillion, according to new research by the MetLife Mature Market Institute, a unit of MetLife Inc, an insurance provider. It foun (more...)
As HIPAA Securty Rule Deadline Passes, Many HME Providers Not Yet Compliant - 6/17/2005 VGM offers help: complete Security Rule "Toolkit" Is your HME or Re-hab facility ready for the HIPAA Security Rule? If not, you should consider ordering VGM`s HIPAA Security Toolkit. This complete policy and procedure manual (CD) will guide all VGM G (more...)
Governors` Group Proposes Medicaid Curbs - 6/16/2005 "State officials should be able to establish different benefits packages for different Medicaid recipients" The National Governors Association offered sweeping bipartisan proposals on Wednesday to rein in the growth of Medicaid, saying states should be allowed to charge higher co-payments to beneficiaries a (more...)
Congressman Mike Ross Revs Up Providers on Advocacy, Competitive Bidding - 6/13/2005 "Most Members of Congress don`t understand what you do" “It`s time to restore some common sense to CMS,” Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR) told the American Association for Homecare conference last week. “And a good place to start is getting rid of competitive bidding (more...)
DMERCs Explain Transition for Coverage of Mobility Equipment - 6/13/2005 Applies on or after May 5, 2005 Last week the DMERCs released the anticipated transition article for the new National Coverage Determination (NCD) for Mobility Assistance Equipment (MAE). The article explains the new NCD and how it (more...)
VGM commits $500,000 to new accreditation entity - 6/6/2005 Plus..VGM plans third building expansion A new accreditation body, specifically created for the HME industry, debuted Wednesday evening at The VGM Group’s Heartland Conference.
"A Red Carpet Affair!" - 6/6/2005 Comments and thanks from Heartland Director Christa Miehe The Industry’s Premier Educational Event, Heartland Conference 2005, was indeed a red carpet affair! Nearly 500 VGM Members attended the conference along with more than 200 VGM Vendors. (more...)
Heartland Festivities, Educational Seminars Begin - 6/1/2005 More than 750 attend Tuesday's golf tournament/hog roast & Wednesday exhibit hall grand opening Billed as the HME industry’s “premier educational event,” 62 speakers from throughout the U.S. have begun presenting 90 sessions in five tracks: HME, respiratory, Rehab, Products/technology and Execut (more...)
Heartland Is Here! - 5/31/2005 HME industry’s “premier educational event" begins today The VGM Group is expecting more than 750 independent home medical equipment providers and HME vendors at its annual Heartland Conference May 31-June 3. (more...)
Heartland Announcements: HOMELINK Signs New Contracts - 5/31/2005 And...New VGM Insurance Programs! With the signing of several new contracts in the first quarter of 2005, HOMELINK, The VGM Group’s managed care division, has 125 contracts that cover more than 75 million lives with either group healt (more...)
Ten Tips for NSC Compliance - 5/25/2005 Courtesy of the Health Law Center The NSC tells us they are here to help. But it helps them help you if you know some of their secrets. The NSC is charged with issuing provider numbers, monitoring compliance with the Supplier Standard (more...)
New AARP Study on Quality of Life - 5/23/2005 "The State of 50+ America 2005" examines well-being of older Americans Against the backdrop of a shifting economy, a new study by AARP examining the health and welfare of America`s 50+ population shows an increased reliance on Social Security among other significant fact (more...)
CMS Announces the National Provider Identifier (NPI) - 5/19/2005 VGM offers instruction about the NPI & how and when to apply for one All providers (including HME/DME, Re-hab, O&P, etc.) conducting electronic transactions will be required to comply with the NPI standards within 24 months after the adoption of the Final NPI Rule. (more...)
RESNA Grants CEU Approval for 2005 Heartland Conference! - 5/16/2005 16.5 hours approved The Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) and VGM & Associates have agreed that RESNA will provide IACET (International Association for Continuing Educat (more...)
Act Now and SAVE! - 5/10/2005 For a limited time only, take advantage of incredible financing 12 month NO INTEREST
(30 day deferment followed by 12 equal payments). Pay no interest on all new orders $20,000 or more! All product qualifies.
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AARC grants CEU approval for 2005 Heartland Conference! - 5/9/2005 Also - See Who's Speaking at Heartland The Continuing Respiratory Education (CRCE) system of the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) granted Category 1 approval for the 2005 Heartland Conference
Leavitt to appoint Medicaid commission members, dismaying some Democrats - 5/9/2005 Frist (R-TN) says commission would be "a fair and balanced" group Some Democrats were irked last week following the disclosure that Michael Leavitt, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, would appoint members of a new Medicaid commission. (more...)
HME Education at its Best - 4/25/2005 See Who's Speaking at Heartland See the elite group of experts coming to the 2005 Heartland Conference! (more...)
AARC grants CEU approval for 2005 Heartland Conference! - 4/21/2005 15 hours approved The Continuing Respiratory Education (CRCE) system of the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) granted Category 1 approval for the 2005 Heartland Conference (more...)
As HIPAA Securty Rule Deadline Passes, Many HME Providers Not Yet Compliant - 4/21/2005 VGM offers help: complete Security Rule "Toolkit" Is your HME or Re-hab facility ready for the HIPAA Security Rule? If not, you should consider ordering VGM`s HIPAA Security Toolkit. This complete policy and procedure manual (CD) will guide all VGM G (more...)
HHS issues proposal on HIPAA penalties - 4/19/2005 Proposed rule has 60-day public comment period HHS has issued for publication in the April 18 Federal Register proposed regulations establishing procedures for imposing civil monetary penalties on entities that violate the administrative simplific (more...)
Accreditation Questions - 4/13/2005 MMA quality standards for HME providers are still up in the air, but there are some things we know for sure. Most HME providers are aware that the Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is required by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003 (more...)
VGM Now Offers Complete HIPAA Security Rule Compliance "Toolkit" - 4/13/2005 Available now on CD; VGM Member price $100 Is your HME or Re-hab facility ready for the HIPAA Security Rule? If not, you should consider ordering VGM`s HIPAA Security Toolkit. This complete policy and procedure manual (CD) will guide all VGM G (more...)
Information for HME Providers & Their Staffs About Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage - 4/8/2005 "You and your staff are trusted sources of information for your patients" On January 1, 2006, a new benefit will be available to the 41 million Americans who receive health insurance coverage through the Medicare program. Medicare Prescription Drug Plans will help reduce th (more...)
Provider Reaction Mixed on 2005 Home Oxygen Fees - 4/8/2005 New fees implemented "as soon as possible and by no later than April 8" Providers who had braced for big reimbursement cuts expressed quiet relief last week when Medicare announced it is reducing home oxygen fees by an average of less than 9 percent. (more...)
Home Oxygen Fees Announced - 3/31/2005 Monthly payments range from $194.48 to $200.41 for stationary; $30.57 to $32.08 for portable equipment On Wednesday the DHHS Office of Inspector General released its revised report on Medicare fee schedule amounts for home oxygen for 2005. (more...)
VGM, who attempted to assist several VGM members who expressed interest in attending one of the four 90-minute focus groups (Ap (more...)
Medicare's Financial Outlook Improves Slightly - 3/28/2005 Program Still Faces More Financial Problems Than Social Security, Trustees Say Medicare`s financial outlook has "improved slightly," and its hospital trust fund will be insolvent by 2020, one year later than previously projected, according to the Medicare trustees` ann (more...)
Mandatory Accreditation: CMS Affirms Requirement Of All HME Providers - 3/28/2005 CMS Small Supplier Medtrade Focus Groups Deadline Also Extended All HME providers will be required to demonstrate that they meet quality standards by becoming accredited, affirmed CMS staff during the Home Health, DME, and Hospice Open Door forum on March 24. (more...)
Report: Obesity cuts U.S. life expectancy - 3/21/2005 "...unless aggressive efforts are made to slow rising rates of obesity" It`s been assumed that U.S. life expectancy would rise indefinitely, but a new data analysis, published as a special report in the March 17 New England Journal of Medicine, suggests that this trend is (more...)
VGM Member Takes Issue With Barton's (R-TX) Support of NCB - 3/8/2005 "We are honest about how we deal with the Medicare System" Brian E. Meloy, operations manager of the the Harrisburg, PA Central Medical Equipment Co. (V9003) "has stepped up to the plate" by taking action and responding to House Energy and C (more...)
PAOC Panel, CMS, Focus On Quality Standards - 3/7/2005 Small provider participation also discussed The 22 members of the Program Advisory Oversight Committee (including VGM HOMELINK president Dave Kazynski) met with CMS officials for the thrid time on Feb. 28 and March 1-2. (more...)
Simple, affordable efforts make small HME providers HIPAA Security-ready - 2/24/2005 VGM offers free and/or low cost tools for compliance With the HIPAA security rule deadline only a few months away, you need to pick your compliance efforts up a notch. Regardless of your size, all covered entities (which includes almost all DMEPOS provi (more...)
Improvements in Health Care Quality, although Disparities Remain - 2/23/2005 "Quality is improving in many areas, but change takes time" HHS` Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) released its second annual reports on the quality of and disparities in health care in America. The 2004 National Healthcare Quality Report finds (more...)
STU travels to San Diego - 2/18/2005 Register Today - Time is Running Out! Don`t miss this much demanded educational event, taking place in San Diego on March 1 and 2. Sponsored by VGM University, presented by Louis Feuer. (more...)
Analysis: Medicare fix most difficult - 2/18/2005 In hearings this week on Capitol Hill, lawmakers debate programs All three major U.S. entitlement programs -- Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid -- are in financial trouble as the baby boomer generation heads into retirement, but fixing Medicare might be the mo (more...)
VGM Proudly Sponsors Billing & Sales Boot Camp - 2/15/2005 Medtrade Spring 2005 Presented by Jane Bunch and Louis Feuer on Monday, April 4, at the Las Vegas Convention Center (one day prior to the opening of Medtrade). (more...)
HME Power Management Series - 2/11/2005 Getting ready to launch in April 2005 VGM and REACH Development Services have teamed up to deliver 12 strategic elements to help you and your business survive and thrive. Regardless of size, geography, or number of locations, we`ll tackle (more...)
BUDGET: Bush Proposal Includes 1.2% Decrease for HHS for FY 2006 - 2/8/2005 Proposal provides $50B increase for Medicare in FY 2006 President Bush on Monday sent to Congress his fiscal year 2006 federal budget proposal, which includes a 1.2% decrease in discretionary funds for HHS -- with "big cuts" for CDC and other ag (more...)
CMS PROPOSES NEW COVERAGE CRITERIA FOR PWCs, SCOOTERS - 2/4/2005 New set of codes effective 1/1/2006 "CMS has revised the power wheelchair codes to more accurately reflect the products that are on the market today to ensure that our beneficiaries receive the product most appropriate for their co (more...)
The NSC TOP TEN - 2/1/2005 "Reoccuring issues" that delay HME provider enrollment The NSC has compiled a list of the top ten reoccurring issues provider enrollment analysts face when processing documentation submitted by the HME community.
VGM Now Offers HIPAA Security Rule Compliance Tools - 2/1/2005 Most homecare providers must comply by April 21, 2005 Currently, a "HIPAA Security Toolkit for HME & Re-hab Facilities", a "Security Handbook" , and other tips are available for VGM Group members. Additional documents will be ad (more...)
ASCA Enforcement of Mandatory Electronic Submission of Medicare Claims for DMERC - 1/25/2005 CMS reminding HME suppliers that they must submit Medicare claims electronically unless they meet specific exception criteria HIPAA`s Administrative Simplification Compliance Act now requires you, with limited exceptions, to submit all your initial claims for reimbursement under Medicare electronically. Further, ASCA amendm (more...)
Support for Leavitt Nomination Comes from Both Sides of Aisle - 1/24/2005 HHS Secretary Nominee Says Medicaid Needs Reform Max Baucus (D-Montana), ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, last week predicted that Michael Leavitt, President George Bush`s nominee to take the reins as secretary of the Department of (more...)
STU Travels to Texas - 1/20/2005 Time is running out. Register today! Sales Training University, which focuses on training home medical equipment sales professionals, is being presented by nationally known industry consultant and speaker, Louis C. Feuer, MA, MSW. Don`t (more...)
VGM Execs Invited To Attend Inauguration - 1/19/2005 Iowa Lawmakers Sen. Charles Grassley and Rep. Jim Nussle offer VGM "priority" seats "I welcome the opportunity to be that close to an event that could be history," said Jim Walsh, a self-described history buff, Republican, Waterloo`s city attorney, and president of VGM Mana (more...)
VGM SENDS LEGAL LETTER TO CMS TO ADDRESS OXYGEN ISSUE - 1/16/2005 VGM demands “CMS act quickly and decisively in…its intention to pay for oxygen and oxygen supplies” or face potential injunction Following lengthy discussions with CMS and the Senate Finance Committee, VGM felt it necessary to notify CMS of its intent to file an injunction seeking emergency relief in federal court, if it did no (more...)
To: DMEPOS-SUPPLIERS-L@LIST.NIH.GOV Subject: CMS Update Regarding Oxygen Payments for 2005
You were previously notified that Medicare claims for oxygen and oxygen equipment and portable oxy (more...)
Health care costs see slower growth - 1/11/2005 Disadvantaged lost benefits, report says Policies that make it harder for the poor, the elderly and the disabled to get treatment have curbed the increase in the nation`s galloping health spending, a report by the Centers for Medicare & Medi (more...)
CMS seeking public comment on home sleep testing device decision - 1/10/2005 Home devices, as an alternative to facility-based polysomnography, would remain uncovered "The evidence is not adequate to conclude that the use of unattended portable multi-channel sleep testing with a minimum of 7 monitored channels including EEG, EOG, EMG, ECG or heart rate, airflo (more...)
We Will Never Forget You Tom… - 1/3/2005 Former VGM president Tom Fitzgerald, “a true VGM original”, dies at 70 It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of retired VGM president Tom Fitzgerald. “Tommy”, a 19-year veteran of Van Miller’s Miller Medical Service and VGM & Associates died 5 (more...)
VGM University - 1/3/2005 Initial 2005 Schedule Announced VGM University (VGMU) has scheduled a variety of sessions during 2005. For more information call VGMU at 1.866.227.8171, go to http://www.vgm.com/learn/, and cli (more...)
HAPPY NEW YEAR! - 12/27/2004 Best wishes for a wonderful, happy, and safe holiday season I would like to wish all of our valued VGM Group members, participating vendors, business consultants, the state, regional, and national industry associations and groups, and to all the other many fri
Happy New Year! - 12/27/2004 Best wishes for a wonderful, happy, and safe holiday season I would like to wish all of our valued VGM Group members, participating vendors, business consultants, the state, regional, and national industry associations and groups, and to all the other many fri
Merry Christmas! It's that time of the year again! - 12/23/2004 Best wishes for a wonderful, happy, and safe holiday season I would like to wish all of our valued VGM Group members, participating vendors, business consultants, the state, regional, and national industry associations and groups, and to all the other many fri
Stationary and Portable Oxygen Claims to be Held in January - 12/17/2004 Pending Receipt of Additional Information from the Office of Inspector General Section 302(c) of the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) of 2003 mandates reductions in Medicare`s monthly payment amounts for oxygen & oxygen equipment effective January 1, 2005. (more...)
HR 4491 WAS A GREAT SUCCESS - 12/15/2004 Comments from John Gallagher, VP Government Relations Despite what you are hearing from some in the trade press, HR 4491 was a tremendous success for the HME industry. For the first time in the history of this industry we were out developing relationship (more...)
Bush names EPA's Leavitt for HHS - 12/13/2004 President picks ex-Utah governor to replace Thompson President Bush has chosen Environmental Protection Agency administrator Mike Leavitt to head the behemoth Health and Human Services Department. (more...)
HME NewsWire: "FEHBP cuts...Here they come" - 12/13/2004 Industry leaders resigned that legislation will not pass A full court press by the HME industry to repeal Medicare reimbursement cuts based on Federal Employees Health Benefit Plans (FEHBP) appears headed for certain failure. (more...)
Woes persist for Medicare reform - 12/9/2004 Iowa Senator Grassley: “…problems must be fixed immediately, before the drug benefit goes into effect” The Bush administration celebrated the one-year anniversary of its $534 billion Medicare prescription-drug law December 8, although the heaviest lifting in implementing the new drug benefit lies ahead (more...)
VGM Members: Did You Receive & Complete Your Survey? - 12/9/2004 CEO Van Miller requests members to assist in negotiating efforts for better vendor pricing VGM`S "WE`RE NEGOTIATING BETTER PRICING FOR YOU!" member survey was distributed this week via fax and email to all VGM, U.S. Rehab and HPC members. (more...)
Silverlink, HOMELINK, Announce New Business Relationship - 12/6/2004 Automated voice service provides HME delivery confirmation; quality feedback from patients Silverlink Communications, the leader in personalized voice solutions for client communication, announced on December 6 that HOMELINK(R), the managed care division of Van G. Miller & Associates, has i (more...)
CMS releases first of seven security white papers - 12/6/2004 Papers are meant to assist providers in understanding the HIPAA security rule—not provide sure-fire compliance methods The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released last week one of seven guidance papers on the HIPAA security rule. This paper, "Security 101 for Covered Entities," offers a basic (more...)
GAO: Medicare payments for cancer drugs to exceed costs - 12/2/2004 Reimbursements for other services will be more than double Medicare payments for cancer drugs will decline next year but will still exceed what doctors pay for them, congressional investigators said Wednesday.
VGM Hosts Road Show Presented in Spanish - 12/1/2004 Reimbursement Rules VGM University hosted the first Spanish Reimbursement Rules road show on November 9 in Fort Lauderdale. The event, Reimbursement Rules, or Las Reglas de Reembolso, is the first traveling educational (more...)
CMS releases 2005 fee schedule for DMEPOS - 11/23/2004 MMA requires cuts for several popular items; oxygen rates to be posted in December Effective January 1, 2005 CMS will reduce reimbursement by basing payment on the percentage difference between median 2002 Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) amounts and Medicare amoun (more...)
For the first time a Sales Training University focused on training home medical equipment sales professionals is being prese (more...)
Researchers: Long-term nurse shortage ahead, despite growth in workforce - 11/18/2004 Workforce will peak at about 2.3 million in 2012 Nurses re-entering the workforce between the ages of 50 and 65, and younger nurses gaining employment for the first time drove a sharp rise in the number of registered nurses in the healthcare for the (more...)
VGM Announces Heartland Conference Dates - 11/17/2004 May 31 - June 3, 2005 VGM will host the industry`s premier educational event, the fourth annual Heartland Conference, in Waterloo, Iowa, May 31-June 3, 2005. (more...)
Congress in February To Consider Medicare Payment Reduction - 11/16/2004 Federal budget deficit could exceed $450 billion by next year Congress in February might begin to discuss proposals to decrease Medicare reimbursements to hospitals and other health care providers as part of an effort to reduce the federal budget deficit, Congre (more...)
OPGA, POINT Health Centers of America To Merge - 11/12/2004 POINT stockholders voted Nov. 9 to become part of The VGM Group The provider-owned network, POINT Health Centers of America, headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, and The VGM Group, parent company of the Orthotic and Prosthetic Group of America (OPGA) have merged. (more...)
URGENT - Request For Information - 11/11/2004 Meeting with Grassley, staff re: "In the home" rule In keeping with our commitment to provide government relations services for our members, an opportunity that has risen for us to meet with U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R- IA, Chairman of the Committee (more...)
EDI Update: Maintain your ability to submit timely claims to Medicare! - 11/11/2004 New instruction issued to clarify and remind providers of existing CMS requirements and prohibitions concerning access to and use of EDI numbers and passwords Failure to abide by Medicare security requirements for EDI access could lead to suspension of EDI capabilities. The following article clarifies and reminds providers and suppliers of existing Medicare (more...)
Average Weight for Americans Growing Heavier - 11/8/2004 Adults Are Almost 25 Pounds Heavier than 40 Years Ago, says CDC If you could go back in time to 1960, you might notice that men, women, and children were a bit shorter then and had a lower average weight than today.
Industry moves on HIPAA standards, but transition will be slow - 11/8/2004 Numerous interpretations of the guidelines make uniformity in electronic transmissions elusive, but work is under way to meet that goal -- likely still a decade away. Healthcare providers may view the federal electronic data interchange standards as a broken promise. But private groups are working together to put the simplification back in this part of the HIPAA ad (more...)
SADMERC Requests Timely Physician Completion of CMNs - 11/5/2004 "A message for Physicians from the (DMERC) Medical Director regarding Certificates of Medical Necessity"Stacey V. Brennan, MD, Region C medical director, released an information dispatch this week directed to all physicians to assist DMEPOS suppliers with cash flow concerns and to remind them that timel (more...)
VGM Group Forms Nationwide Respiratory Division - 11/2/2004 New company, set up similarly to U.S. Rehab, officially unveiled at Medtrade "Providing members the marketing tools necessary to thrive in today`s Home Respiratory Care Environment."
There are many issues facing the provider today. After performing a careful
VGM Top 10 Medtrade Exhibitor - 11/1/2004 Ties for 6th with 4000 sq. ft. booth; 50 VGM staffers greet attendees (Note: Reprinted from the October 28, 2004 edition of the Medtrade Show Daily, published by HME News).
BOOTH 2619 -The VGM Group wants, its Medtrade booth to be a safe haven for attende (more...)
HME Excellence Awards: VGM Group Members Receive 8 Nominations - 10/22/2004 Winners to be announced at Medtrade Kick-Off Event Best HME Provider Nominees include: Healthcare Accessories, Fargo, ND (VGM, U.S. Rehab, OPGA), HomeReach, Lewis Center, OH (VGM), Mon Health Care Equipment & Supplies, Morgantown, WV (VGM, U.S. Rehab (more...)
Program Advisory Oversight Committee Holds First Meeting - 10/14/2004 CMS lays groundwork for NCB initiative On October 6 the Program Advisory Oversight Committee (PAOC) met in Baltimore for its initial meeting. Mandated by MMA, the committee will advise CMS on the implementation of national competitive bidd (more...)
CMS Suggests Monthly Dispensing Fee in $55-$64 Range for Inhalation Therapy - 10/14/2004 "Gap" identified by AAH, Muse and Associates study AAHomecare commended the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) for recommending adjustments to the dispensing fee for inhalation therapies use (more...)
VGM Staffer Volunteering Time To Assist Hurricane Victims - 10/5/2004 L.E.A.R.N's Steven Douglas is also certified FEMA "Disaster Housing Inspector" Steven Douglas` cube in the VGM L.E.A.R.N. department has been empty for over a month. But he`s not AWOL...
Steven, who, among other things, is the Spanish translator for L.E.A.R.N ((more...)
U.S. home healthcare products and services market to double by 2012 - 10/4/2004 Medtech Insight releases 2004 U.S. Markets for Home Healthcare Products The expense and reduced length of acute care hospital stays, the availability and evolution of new healthcare technologies, the aging of the U.S. population, and the fact that most patients prefer to (more...)
VGM Well Represented on Competitive Bidding Commitee - 9/27/2004 PAOC includes VGM Members Handi Medical, Wright & Filippis and VGM HOMELINK president Dave Kazynski On Friday, CMS announced the appointment of a committee to advise the agency about the implementation of competitive bidding for equipment provided to Medicare beneficiaries, and about establishing st (more...)
Sales Training University For the Homecare Industry - 9/17/2004 Sponsored by VGM & Associates - Presented by Louis Feuer For the first time a Sales Training University focused on training home medical equipment sales professionals is being presented by nationally known industry consultant and speaker, Louis C. Feuer, MA (more...)
OIG Report: Home oxygen equipment reimbursement rules should be changed - 9/15/2004 Sept 13 report says "Medicare could have saved $499 million" Medicare expenditures for home oxygen equipment could be reduced by hundreds of millions yearly if reimbursement rules are changed to establish payment rates similar to Federal Employee Health Benefit (more...)
HELiOS® System helping cyclist’s dream come true - 8/31/2004 VGM's Freedomlink division, VGM members assisting When Mark Junge (pronounced “Youngee”) found out he had to go on oxygen more than a year ago, he thought his dream of biking across America had evaporated. Thanks to the HELiOS® Portable Liquid Oxygen (more...)
U.S. home healthcare products and services market to double by 2012 - 8/23/2004 Medtech Insight releases 2004 U.S. Markets for Home Healthcare Products The expense and reduced length of acute care hospital stays, the availability and evolution of new healthcare technologies, the aging of the U.S. population, and the fact that most patients prefer to (more...)
MEDICARE: OP-EDS EXAMINE BENEFICIARIES' OPINIONS OF NEW LAW - 8/16/2004 66% of beneficiaries say Congress should change the law Two opinion pieces examine a recent Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard School of Public Health survey examining seniors` perceptions of the new Medicare law. The survey, released August 11, found th (more...)
VGM To Offer HIPAA Security Rule Compliance Assistance - 8/11/2004 Most homecare providers must comply by April 21, 2005 Once again, the VGM Group will offer HIPAA training to all members of VGM & Associates, U.S. Rehab, OPGA and HPC. Similar in scope to the widely popular "HIPAA Self-Assessment and Compliance Res (more...)
CMS Publishes Discussion of New Codes For Power Wheelchairs - 8/11/2004 CMS to hold public meeting regarding codes on September 1 CMS has proposed new codes for power wheelchairs to help “more accurately reflect the actual need for and use of power wheelchairs.” Stating that the the codes are based on requirement of a “detailed (more...)
Supplier Numbers: Hearings & Appeals Update - 8/9/2004 NSC offers options to refute denial or revocation decisions Recently, there have been many questions regarding the Hearings & Appeals (H&A) process. As there have been some changes since the last NSC update, this article provides some details and answers to q (more...)
NEW MS. WHEELCHAIR AMERICA CROWNED - 8/3/2004 Juliette Rizzo of Maryland Crowned Ms. Wheelchair America 2005 Following a week-long competition with women from around the country, Juliette Rizzo of Rockville, Maryland, was crowned July 31 as Ms. Wheelchair America 2005, in Richmond, Virginia, at the 32nd annu (more...)
The POWER of PowerWeb® - 8/2/2004 VGM’s web hosting division introduces You wouldn’t dream of running a business without a telephone, fax machine, or a store location where customers can see your products and experience your service. So why do without a website? PowerWe (more...)
"No Good News in CMS Draft Respiratory Drug Regulations" - 7/29/2004 Major investment advisory service Legg Mason provides a summary of MMA "ASP+6%" impact; comments on effect to nationals' stock ratings Yesterday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued draft regulations on physician payments that included proposed respiratory drug reimbursement rules.
VGM Welcomes Tim Pontius - 7/28/2004 Pontius, owner and CEO of Young Medical Services and Toledo IV Care in Toledo, Ohio is current chair of the American Association for Homecare board of directors. A tour of the Waterloo corporate facilities, meetings with a contingent of VGM executives, dinner at Van Miller’s home, and, of course, a little golf make up the schedule this week as VGM throws out t (more...)
Protect Patient Data With A Facility Security Plan - 7/28/2004 Providers have until April 21, 2005, to comply with the final security rule. Mandatory compliance of the HIPAA privacy regulations, including the training requirement on your organization`s policies and procedures, took effect on April 14, 2003. However, it is now time for al (more...)
Medicare Redefines Obesity As an Illness - 7/27/2004 DHHS' Thompson: "Treating obesity-related illnesses results in billions of dollars in health care costs" Medicare now recognizes obesity as an illness, a change in policy that may allow millions of overweight Americans to make medical claims for treatments such as stomach surgery and diet programs. (more...)
Commentary from VGM's Jim Walsh: CMS Gets Nasty Judicial Surprise - 7/7/2004 A Temporary Escape from Wonderland for Providers As I sat listening to a CMS administrator at a Washington D.C. meeting last month, it occurred to me that we must be, truly, living in Alice’s Wonderland. This well dressed, articulate gentleman was (more...)
Federal Court Upholds CMN as Medicare Document of Record - 7/6/2004 U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence Karlton Ruling Favors PWC Providers On June 28, the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of California ruled that the Certificate of Medical Necessity (CMN) is the Medicare document of record and that the Centers for Medicare (more...)
As of July 1, Noncompliant HIPAA Claims Subject To Payment Delay - 7/1/2004 Affects all Medicare providers, and suppliers who submit electronic claims to Medicare. As reported by VGM last March, Medicare is modifying its Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) contingency plan. The modification continues to allow submission of non-compliant e (more...)
Email Spam & Virus Update - 6/28/2004 VGM taking virus concerns seriously Recently, emails have been delivered to inboxes with the familiar info@vgm.com return address. We are aware of these fraudulent emails, and wanted to assure our members that VGM is not the originator (more...)
VGM Inside Sales Division Announces Sunrise Medical Special - 6/22/2004 Great members-only pricing: Guardian® Homecare beds & Guardian® Aspire power chair The Guardian® Homecare Bed provides the reliability and compatibility that you demand at an affordable price. With a variety of packages to choose from, Sunrise Medical offers a bed solution to meet (more...)
The VGM Group has published a survey of how 315 independent HME providers market their products and services. Developed and conducted by sales expert Louis Feuer, founder of Dynamic Seminars & Consult (more...)
Heartland 2004..."A Resounding Success!" - 6/7/2004 Comments and thanks from Christa Miehe, conference coordinator 2600 cookies, 237 pig squeezies, 3715 canned beverages, 18 hours of education and 3 karaoke bars combine to make the best Heartland Conference ever!
Heartland Conference 2004 has come to a clos (more...)
VGM Welcomes Heartland Guests! - 6/1/2004 Hundreds of attendees, exhibitors, speakers and guests begin to arrive in Waterloo More than 700 home health care providers, manufacturers and presenters from throughout North American will attend The VGM Group`s Heartland Conference 2004, Tuesday through Friday, at Five Sullivan Br (more...)
DME Supplier Telemarketing Alert - 6/1/2004 Marketing company obtaining telephone lists of prospective beneficiaries There have been recent reports of telemarketing companies making unsolicited calls to Medicare beneficiaries and asking the beneficiary about their health, any illness (es), and what type of DME equip (more...)
Get Ready For Heartland! - 5/27/2004 Important arrival, transportation tips If you are arriving by air into Cedar Rapids, and have confirmed your itinerary with VGM, we offer complimentary shuttle service to your Heartland hotel. Please review the spreadsheet link on the foll (more...)
Online Prices for Drug Cards Fluctuate - 5/20/2004 State Programs Focus on Lower Drug Prices Consumers searching the government`s new Medicare Web site are finding continually changing drug prices under the Medicare drug discount card program, the Wall Street Journal reports.
A "Mounting Obesity Epidemic" - 5/14/2004 VGM particpating vendor Medline Industries, others offer commentary The hottest-selling item in a local manufacturer`s new medical equipment catalog is a hospital walker sturdy enough to assist a patient weighing up to 500 pounds. Even though the extra-wide medical wa (more...)
Medicare Launches Chronic Care Programs - 5/12/2004 Pilot program ordered under last year's Medicare reform law CMS will launch 10 Medicare chronic care programs by the end of the year, hoping to save money by offering hundreds of thousands of older and disabled Americans coordinated care to manage their chroni (more...)
VGM has received several letters, faxes and emails from provider-members regarding last week’s article relative to Medicare’s “new initiatives on power wheelchair coverage and payment policy" (more...)
Time is running out! - 5/6/2004 Come Home to Heartland - June 1 - 4, 2004 Time to Learn
Three full days of continuing education courses
Time for Everyone
Multi-track seminars offer CEUs to HME and respiratory providers, high-tech rehab speci
Imported drug law called inevitable - 5/5/2004 Health chief downplays potential cost savings for U.S. consumers The Bush administration’s top health care official said Tuesday that passage of legislation authorizing the importation of prescription drugs is inevitable, despite strong opposition from the White Ho (more...)
CMS News: Medicare Announces New Iinitiatives On Power Wheelchair Coverage And Payment Policy - 4/29/2004 And Inspector General Dara Corrigan testifies before U.S. Senate Committee on Finance on Medicare Reimbursement: Fraud and Abuse Prevalent Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mark D. McClellan, M.D., Ph.D. announced, on April 28th, a series of further steps on Medicare coverage and payment policies that apply to po (more...)
Hobson Drafts Legislation to Repeal Reimbursement Cuts - 4/28/2004 Commentary from VGM's VP - Government Relations John Gallagher VGM has learned that Rep. David Hobson (R, OH) is planning to introduce legislation to strip the FEHBP cuts from the new Medicare Law. During the waning moment of the House vote for passage of the Me (more...)
CMS wants fees for duplicate / incomplete claims - 4/27/2004 Proposed collecting $5.00 starting April 1, 2005 You better start getting a handle on claims that go out your doors missing information or producing same or similar denials. They could soon cost you more than headaches. (more...)
Canadian Web Pharmacies Draw Criticism from Health Groups - 4/26/2004 Senators to Introduce Drug Reimportation Bill Canadian health and pharmacy groups have charged the Canadian Internet drug industry with undermining safety and creating supply problems at home by selling prescription drugs to U.S. patients, the Fi (more...)
CMS urges Medicare providers to understand HIPAA issues - 4/26/2004 Modified "contingency plan" will delay Medicare reimbursement In February VGM had reported that CMS is modifying its HIPAA “contingency plan” implemented by Medicare on October 16, 2003. Specifically, CMS had announced on February 27, 2004, that Medicare would c (more...)
TIPS ON HIPAA TRAINING - 4/23/2004 This article: Basic Requirements of the Security Rule Mandatory compliance of the HIPAA privacy regulations, including the training requirement on your homecare organization`s policies and procedures, took effect on April 14, 2003. And organizations must (more...)
Has Obesity Met Its Match? - 4/15/2004 Promising experimental drug garners industry excitement At the American College of Cardiology annual meeting last month, Paris-based Sanofi-Synthelabo (SYN) caused a stir when it unveiled data on a promising experimental drug for obesity. The drug, rimonab (more...)
Power Wheelchair Industry Seeks Clarity from CMS on Medicare Coverage Issues - 4/8/2004 Wants to Ensure New Policy Will Restore Coverage Benefits On April 6 representatives of the power wheelchair industry said that questions still remain regarding the coverage policy for patients requiring power wheelchairs, even though the Centers for Medicar (more...)
Flying to Heartland? Airfares Remain Low - 4/7/2004 But many routes require purchase by April 30 According to measures from the U.S. government and American Express Co, airline ticket prices remain lower than last year. Most airlines have been cutting prices since the 2001 recession and Sept. 11 (more...)
New Hampshire Launches Canadian Rx Web Site - 4/6/2004 Controversial Approach: "Violation of Federal Law" New Hampshire Gov. Craig Benson (R) on Monday introduced a state Web site that connects residents to a Canadian Internet pharmacy for cheaper prescription drugs, the Boston Globe reports. The federal (more...)
Privacy Policies Burden Business - 3/29/2004 Firms Rush To Meet Health-Privacy Mandate Many employers don`t realize that the sweeping reforms mandated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 apply to them. (more...)
Update on the Medicare Power Wheelchair Benefit - 3/24/2004 When: Wednesday, March 31 2004 from 2PM to 3:30PM (EST) In a continuing effort to communicate with beneficiaries, providers and suppliers about the criteria Medicare uses to determine whether to pay for a power wheelchair for an individual beneficiary, the (more...)
CMS Plans to Announce Actions to Address Power Wheelchair Concerns - 3/22/2004 Pressure from Grassley, industry factions apparently successful In February several industry groups – including VGM – urged Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) to pressure CMS to “preserve Medicare patients` access to necessary medical equipment, such as motorized wheelc (more...)
Foster: White House Had Role In Withholding Medicare Data - 3/19/2004 Medicare analyst threatened with firing Richard S. Foster, the government`s chief analyst of Medicare costs who was threatened with firing last year if he disclosed too much information to Congress, said last night that he believes the Whit (more...)
The VGM Group has signed an agreement with Brightree to deliver an Internet-based product for members that will assist with HME billing and inventory control functions.
Senate To Cut $11 Billion Over Five Years From Medicaid Program - 3/9/2004 VGM urges members to contact elected officials On March 4 the Senate Budget Committee approved a resolution that would cut $11 billion from Medicaid over the next five years. Over 1.2 million children, seniors and people with disabilities may lose (more...)
CMS Urges States To Adopt Disease Management Programs - 3/5/2004 Agency will match state costs In A February 26 Office of Public Affairs press release, CMS urged states to adopt programs to help those with chronic illnesses better manage their diseases. In a letter to state Medicaid officials, (more...)
HME Seller Beware - 3/1/2004 Credit card fraud incidents increasing VGM has received several member reports of fraudulent equipment orders using stolen credit card numbers, many with overseas delivery addresses. Unfortunately, a few facilities have accepted and shi (more...)
Informed seniors look askance at drug bill: survey - 2/27/2004 68% say they didn't know it had passed and is now law Widespread ignorance about the new Medicare prescription drug benefit will spawn plenty of sound-bite opportunities for Republicans and Democrats this election year, but the more senior citizens know (more...)
VGM partners with Louis Feuer - 2/27/2004 Feuer and VGM LEARN join forces to bring powerful education to the HME industry One of the HME industry’s best-known educators, authors and speakers has joined The VGM Group as educational adviser.
Louis Feuer, MA, MSW, was director of education for the Medtrade shows for 1
Glucose Monitor Supplies: Prepay Review in Region D - 2/24/2004 Third highest ranked DME category for paid claims errors Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT) shows glucose monitor supplies to be the third highest ranked DME category for paid claims errors in DMERC Region D. Medicare contractors are required by the Ce (more...)
2003 Shows First Slowdown in Healthcare Spending in Six Years - 2/17/2004 Expirations of provisions within 1999 BBR and 2000 BIPA slow growth For the first time in six years, healthcare spending has slowed down. For 2003, CMS has reported that healthcare spending is projected to grow 7.8 percent, down from the 9.3 percent growth experienced (more...)
VGM “Letter to the Editor” Campaign - 2/12/2004 Raising public awareness of HME issues may be key As most members are aware, VGM has expended considerable time and resources since the Medicare Prescription Drug Bill passed last November targeting key Congressional representatives in an attempt to (more...)
More Senators Seek Reopening Of Medicare Bill Over Cost - 2/12/2004 Thompson repeats administration's resistance to reconsideration Two more senators who voted for the new Medicare prescription drug law today joined the chorus of those agitating to reopen it this year. (more...)
VGM Group Commentary: The New “Coalitions” - 2/5/2004 RAMP and NCART Announce Formation VGM Group (VGM, U.S. Rehab, HPC, and OPGA) members have likely noticed recent press releases and trade publication articles announcing the formation of two new “coalitions” comprised of various organi (more...)
Guidelines For Filing Paper Claims - 2/3/2004 Eighth in a continuing series Failure to follow these guidelines can cause providers a delay in processing, denial of their claim, or affect payment accuracy.
The Administrative Simplification Compliance Act (ASCA) mandate (more...)
Medicare to be $698 billion program by 2014: CBO - 1/28/2004 New reform law, with drug benefit, will add $395 billion to program between 2004 and 2013. Also: "Medicare 101", per member request, on next page. Medicare spending will reach $698 billion in 2014, up almost 155% from $274 billion in 2003, according to new estimates from the Congressional Budget Office. (more...)
"How NCB Will Jeopardize the Entire Home Care Structure in Our Nation" - 1/28/2004 VGM member submits essay regarding “underlying fallacies of NCB” The following essay is a follow-up to our January 7, 2004 lead article that included commentary from Herb Paserman, of U.S. Rehab/HPC’s Allcare Medical (*).
Clinton to file EHR bill - 1/19/2004 Proposed new system would enable providers and patients to view medical records and communicate with each other online On January 12 Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton said she would likely introduce legislation calling for the creation of a nationwide system of electronic health records (EHR). Health Information for Qua (more...)
Study: Obesity Raising Disability Rate - 1/8/2004 Disability rates rose sharply in the last two decades among those under 60, and obesity appears to be the main reason, according to a study released Thursday. The Rand Corp. study — published in the journal Health Affairs — said the health of young Americans is getting worse. It found the number of people ages 30-49 who could not care for themselves or do o (more...)
VGM Members Speak Out On Medicare Bill - 1/7/2004 Herb Paserman (Allcare Medical): "...the terrain of the fight has now shifted in our favor" VGM has received several letters, faxes and emails from provider-members regarding the HME provisions of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (DIMA). Occasionall (more...)
Confirmation: CMS to reimburse albuterol and ipratropium at 80% AWP - 1/6/2004 Final rule of physician payment & outpatient drug reimbursement provisions of DIMA now published Payment for most outpatient drugs will be reimbursed at 85% of the April 1, 2003 AWP, but “the Secretary retains authority to reimburse some drugs as low as 80% of AWP based on pricing information gen (more...)
Baby Boomers Expect to Beat the Odds with More Active, Longer Lives - 1/5/2004 Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Releases Survey of Baby Boomers’ Outlook on Aging, Activity and Healthcare At the stroke of midnight, January 1, 2004, the youngest of the Baby Boomers will begin marking their 40th birthdays and the official entrance to “middle age.” Baby Boomers – those born between 1946 a (more...)
Bill More Negative Than Positive, Especially Among Older Voters - 12/24/2003 Poll takers Wall Street Journal Online & Harris Interactive suggest seniors very skeptical about Medicare reform Results of a recent Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive Health-Care Poll suggest that President Bush is going to have to work very hard to make the Medicare reform and drug benefit bill a vo (more...)
President signs law; critics fear confusion - 12/9/2003 Kennedy: "You sold us out, so we're going to go all out to repeal what you've done" WASHINGTON – President Bush signed into law Monday a sweeping overhaul of Medicare that includes establishing a drug-discount card to be marketed to the program`s 40 million beneficiaries by June. (more...)
Senate approves Medicare bill - 11/25/2003 Minority Leader Daschle: "This will not be the last vote, I guarantee you." The U.S. Senate on Tuesday passed a landmark overhaul of Medicare that will add a prescription drug benefit and introduce controversial free market reforms to the federal health plan for the elderly. (more...)
Review of DME Provisions - 11/25/2003 "Even opponents conceded the outcome was not in doubt." To access the entire 681 page bill, click here. To access the Congressional Budget Office scoring document, click (more...)
Senate Heads Toward Approving Medicare Overhaul - 11/24/2003 Senate vote set for 12:30 p.m. EST today on whether to halt a Democratic-led filibuster. The Republican-led Senate seems headed toward giving final congressional approval to one of the biggest overhauls of the Medicare health insurance program for the elderly.
H.R. 1 Update: DME Provisions - 11/24/2003 CBO Scoring Document Released To access the entire 681 page bill, click here. To access the Congressional Budget Office scoring document, click (more...)
ALERT! - HR1 and CBO Scoring Released - 11/21/2003 Detail of DME Provisions Available - Download/ Print Here To access the official CBO scoring document forwarded to William “Bill” M. Thomas Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, click here. (more...)
Prescription drug bill heads to a vote - 11/21/2003 Likelihood of a Democratic-led effort to block the bill fades. WASHINGTON -- Congressional negotiators cleared the way Thursday for votes on landmark Medicare prescription drug legislation. The House was preparing to vote today and the Senate as early as Saturd (more...)
ALERT! - HR1 and CBO Scoring Released - 11/21/2003 Complete Detail of DME Provisions Available for Download/Print To access the official CBO scoring document forwarded to William “Bill” M. Thomas Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, click here. (more...)
Hobson opposition threatens prescription-drug bill - 11/20/2003 Invacare's Mixon: NCB "would drive small "mom-andpop" operations out of business and leave just a few large companies in their place." Hobson`s decision will force the White House and Republican leaders to scramble for the votes to pass President Bush`s No. 1 domestic priority - the largest expansion of federal assistance to the elde (more...)
Pelosi and Daschle Send Letter to AARP - 11/20/2003 ..."We believe that the policies being supported by AARP in this bill are severely flawed, not in the best interests of America's seniors, and can and must be improved upon. Washington, D.C. -- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle sent the following letter to William Novelli, Executive Director and CEO of AARP on November 19: (more...)
Ohio Congressmen: DME Issues "obstacle to House passage" - 11/19/2003 Rep. Steven LaTourette (R-Ohio) suggests inclusion of the competitive bidding agreement 'could be a deal-breaker.' Rep. David Hobson (R-Ohio) plans to vote against the final bill unless competitive bidding on DME is dropped from the consensus language in favor of a permanent price freeze, Health News Daily reports (more...)
Republican Medicare Plan Faces Challenges - 11/17/2003 Report: DME Provision Updated Over Weekend Republican leaders on Capitol Hill began to detail an agreement that would transform the government`s compact with the 40 million Americans on Medicare, as they embarked yesterday with the White House (more...)
11/14/03 Update: Medicare Conferees Fail To Agree, Handing Final Decision To Leaders - 11/14/2003 Earlier "tentative" agreement on DME issues included freeze thru 2008, NCB in 2007 House and Senate GOP leaders will be left to determine the final shape of the Medicare bill, after the 12-member negotiating team that has labored over it for months failed to agree Thursday on a tent (more...)
Will NCB Disproportionately Harm African-Americans? - 11/14/2003 Edolphus “Ed” Towns, D.-N.Y., Four Other Lawmakers Describe "Two Classes" Conferees on the Medicare Bill still have an issue to consider: whether the national competitive bidding program for DME currently proposed in 2007 would disenfranchise African-Americans. In a letter (more...)
Speaking to reporters yesterday, Senator Grassley indicated that three main issues remain to be decided (1. Premium Support 2. Medical Savings Accounts and 3. Cost Containments). Also not decided is (more...)
Must my company have a Respiratory Therapist on staff if it sells oxygen? - 11/6/2003 Third in our supplier number/compliance series In section 2B of the CMS-855S application form, there are 21 Specialty Options. All suppliers must have at least one specialty. Any given supplier may have more than one specialty. Further down, in se (more...)
"Home Based” HME Information and Check List - 10/31/2003 Second in our supplier number/compliance series Home-based businesses can have some unique challenges in the DMEPOS business world. The following addresses topics that the owner of a home-based business may not have considered. (more...)
AARP: "Protect Retiree Health Benefits - Oppose Medicare Reform Bill" - 10/31/2003 Powerful AARP Urges Members to Fax Congress Now As millions of older Americans anxiously watch and wait, Congress continues to debate the details of legislation to fill the nation`s longstanding need for a Medicare prescription drug benefit. AARP (more...)
Update! VGM Conducts Conference Call with Members of Grassley's Staff - 10/29/2003 Potential for CPI Freeze and Competitive Bidding Provision Remain On Thursday afternoon VGM conducted a conference call with members of Senator Charles Grassley’s Senate Finance Committee Staff. During discussions with staff members, VGM became aware of the followin (more...)
"Jury Still Out" - 10/27/2003 Conferees reportedly still examining mix of two policies: CPI freeze followed by competitive bidding The combination mentioned most prominently is a one-year DME freeze in FY `04, followed by competitive bidding on a half-dozen or so "Secretarial-determined" list of products in MSAs of grea (more...)
Medicare conferees continued talks into the night Thursday (October 23), holding onto their optimism about meeting a deadline for reaching agreement today on major issues. The meetings were going forw (more...)
Medicare Conferee Current Plans - 10/23/2003 Competitive Bidding and CPI freeze purportedly under consideration It appears that the House-Senate Medicare Conference is moving on multiple fronts toward completion sometime the first two weeks of November, and in doing so, Conferees and their staffs have broached (more...)
WASHINGTON - House and Senate negotiators are discussing a compromise that would guarantee the elderly access to a government prescription drug benefit under Medicare if they lack a choice of private (more...)
Heartland Conference June 1-4, 2004 - 10/20/2003 Online Registration Available Now! You can now register online for Heartland 2004. The third annual education conference, sponsored by The VGM Group, will be held June 1-4, 2004, in Waterloo, Iowa. (more...)
VGM Gala Big Hit - 10/14/2003 Missing...One Huge VGM Balloon...Join The Hunt! Reward Now Offered!! Pictures from the VGM Gala! Click here.
ATLANTA – Under a full moon in Centennial Olympic Park the VGM Gala Get-Together att (more...)
VGM's Medtrade 2003 Gala - 10/10/2003 Party under a full moon! & a live webcam!! ATLANTA – The VGM Group forces have invaded Medtrade 2003 armed with new programs, a bigger and better Member Service Center, in-booth demos and a Gala Get-Together Friday evening so big it’s being mo (more...)
VGM & Medtrade 2003 - 10/9/2003 New programs, new booth (live webcam available!!) and a party under a full moon ATLANTA – The VGM Group forces will invade Medtrade 2003 armed with new programs, a bigger and better Member Service Center, in-booth demos and a Gala Get-Together so big it’s been moved outside under (more...)
vgmMESA.net to be introduced at Medtrade - 10/7/2003 Powerful new resource for state and regional medical equipment providers’ associations. Available at no cost to associations, vgmMESA.net is a Web-based resource library that will be useful to all state association directors and members. (more...)
Look for vgmMESA.net at Medtrade! - 10/6/2003 VGM to launch powerful new resource for state and regional medical equipment providers’ associations. vgmMESA.net, available at no cost, is a Web-based resource library that will be useful to state association directors and members. (more...)
VGM Canada, Motion Group announce merger - 9/29/2003 Association of 24 specialized rehab providers will merge operations with The VGM Group WATERLOO, Iowa and BRAMPTON, Ontario, Canada – VGM Canada and The Motion Group of Canada have announced a merger that will result in both entities benefiting from each other’s strengths. The Motion G (more...)
Medicare Bill Remains Stalled - 9/23/2003 No formal meetings scheduled this week Conferees working to resolve differences in House and Senate versions of legislation providing a prescription drug benefit under the Medicare program scheduled no formal meetings this week. Reportedl (more...)
CMS Clarifies Reimbursement Rules On Power Wheelchairs - 9/19/2003 Medicare won't reimburse for POV's without written physician order Just days after announcing a federal campaign to crack down on free power wheelchairs for beneficiaries who don`t need them, CMS issued a transmittal on September 12 stating that it will deny claims i (more...)
HHS Announces It Will Not Extend HIPAA Electronic Claims Deadline - 9/12/2003 Payers Unprepared for October 16 Compliance Date? On September 12 HHS announced that it will not seek to extend the Oct. 16 compliance deadline for the HIPAA transactions and code sets rule for electronically submitting health care claims, CongressDa (more...)
Commentary from VGM President Ron Bendell - 9/11/2003 To all VGM Group Members: As you now are aware, on September 10th the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a sweeping 10-point plan to crack down on power wheelchair fraud and abuse. This action has been rumored (more...)
CMS Announces 10 Point Power Mobility "Crackdown" - 9/9/2003 OIG Also Investigating DME Fraud BALTIMORE 9:00 a.m. 9/9/03 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today announced a 10-point initiative to substantially curb abuse of the Medicare program by unscrupulous providers of pow (more...)
VGM attended the RATC Washington D.C. Fly-In. VGM met with both Senator Grassley (R-IA) and Congressman Nussle (R-IA). Chairman Nussle indicated that pressure was mounting to finalize a bill prior to
Marketing and Sales Opportunities Survey - 8/6/2003 What is your ratio of sales to employee? Do you provide your employees with health insurance? What is your average salary? Many of our members have asked us to provide them with benchmarking data that is derived strictly from independent providers, not publicly held national companies. The reason is so you can compare key (more...)
VGM University - 8/4/2003 VGMU Virtual University is your best continuing education value VGMU is the most affordable continuing education tool available to HME/Rehab businesses. The course catalog offers learning for all job functions. Your employees can “attend“ courses to increase th (go to source...)
"If it takes a little more time to get it right, we`ll do that," according to Doug Badger, the special assistant to the president for economic policy. However, industry sources suggest that (more...)
Although both the House and Senate passed legislation adding a new $400 billion prescription drug benefit under the Medicare program at a faster pace than many predicted, Senate leaders said that they (more...)
Congress launches into final floor debate - 6/24/2003 on Medicare prescription drug benefit legislation In what is expected to be an intense week of floor debate, lawmakers predict each chamber will pass its version by week's end, though bill supporters will have to address concerns from both ends of th (more...)
Last week the Senate Finance Committee began marking up its version of the Medicare reform legislation. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-IA) was instrumental in rejecting any incl (more...)
SecureCMN™, from eClickMD, Inc®, is a secure, Internet-based solution for processing Certificates of Medical Necessity (CMNs) and other medical forms online. (more...)
On May 23, the Senate passed a $350 billion tax cut, which had passed the House the previous day. The final Tax Bill did not include any provisions relating directly to competitive bidding or DME. Tho (more...)
It's Not Too Late! - 5/22/2003 HC 2003: Deadline Approaching The monumental gathering of who's who in the DME industry will be taking place
May 28-31. The Registration deadline is fast approaching. Click(go to source...)
SUNRISE TO INTRODUCE NEW INDUSTRY STANDARD - 5/6/2003 The Guardian Easy Care Wheelchair Family Sunrise Medical introduces the Guardian Easy Care line of standard wheelchairs….the New Industry Standard! Six Easy Care models, covering the spectrum from basic to high-strength lightweight, provide (more...)
GAME ON! - 3/26/2003 and it's good for another 3... ...3 years that is. Sunrise Medical and VGM recently announced a 3 year contract renewal coupled with the introduction of a new aggressive program for dealers.
Are You Registered? - 3/26/2003 HC 2003: Deadline Approaching The monumental gathering of who's who in the DME industry will be taking place May 28-31. The Registration deadline is fast approaching. Click here to (go to source...)
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