PHOENIX - While labor is the No. 1 cost center for HME providers, it’s also the No. 1 thing they can control, says John Skoro, president of Xmed Oxygen and Medical Equipment. Here’s what Skoro, who will be co-hosting a session on how to leverage technology to automate referral processes, had to say about mitigating costs with e-prescribing. HME News: Why is it so important for HME providers to play an active role in “selling” technology to automate referral processes and e-prescribe? John Skoro: We might say, “Hey, it only takes my customer service person six to seven minutes to do an order,” but the reality is it might take them 30 minutes between doing the order, going back to the fax machine, sending it out, getting an email, reading it over, and resending it again. Whereas e-prescribing lets you do that order correctly—upfront—and takes the complexity out of all the different types of requirements. The end result is that our customer service personnel could do three to four times as many orders than they could without using the technology. HME: What’s a good tip for talking with referral sources about how to use this technology?  Skoro: It's about saying, “I'm going to save you time for something you are not getting paid for,” and who wouldn't want that? The second challenge is, “How do I do this, this looks really complicated,” and you have to be able to say, “We're here with you every step of the way.” HME News: If attendees walk away with one thing from your session, what should that be?  Skoro: We all benefit from strength in numbers. Even if I lose a relationship with a referral source, the next guy benefits if he's using similar technology, because I already trained that particular health system, and that's good for everybody.

SAN DIEGO – ResMed says a draft technology assessment that shows published studies mostly do not support that CPAP therapy affects long-term clinical health outcomes bypasses “a generation of data in real-world evidence.” The company submitted comments on the 155-page assessment, presenting peer-reviewed and published data that show CPAP therapy improves quality of life, reduces health care costs and even reduces mortality. The data show a reduction in the incidences of heart attacks, a reduction in hypertension and a reduction in the incidences of solid cell cancer tumors, says CEO Mick Farrell. “These data prove that in partnership with our physician and provider colleagues in the market, we are saving lives and saving money for the health care system through our medical technology,” Farrell during a conference call to discuss the company’s most recent financial results. CMS requested that the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality evaluate the evidence on the improvement of long-term clinical health outcomes with CPAP treatment, as well as the validity of criteria used as surrogate outcomes, and seek comments. Farrell also highlighted recent decisions by the health ministries in France, Germany and Japan to reimburse for digital health to treat OSA and recently published draft guidelines from the National Institute of Clinical Effectiveness (NICE) in the U.K. recommending that CPAP therapy, along with telemonitoring, is the frontline treatment option for patients with mild OSA. “That would be an expansion of coverage in the U.K. and also an expansion of the use of digital health technology in that market,” he said. It’s this kind of real-world evidence that needs to be incorporated into the assessment, says David Pendarvis, chief administrative officer and global general counsel. “We believe AHRQ is taking a very narrow perspective on looking at the clinical literature, looking only at randomized controlled trials done under certain very careful criteria,” he said. “While traditionally that has been the hallmark of the gold standard of trials, we think, particularly in this industry, you’ve got a massive amount of real-world evidence and a lot of other longitudinal trials that clearly demonstrates benefits. All of that evidence ought to be used to come to a conclusion.” Farrell pointed out that there are randomized controlled trials, or RCTs, that show CPAP therapy does affect outcomes, but they weren’t included in the assessment. “So, if you’re just looking at RCTs even, you need to include some of those RCTs which were very positive,” he said, “and the AHRQ just looked at some neutral RCTs and said, well, neutral means no benefit. There’s all these other proponents of evidence and RCTs that are positive.” Farrell continued: “We are optimistic that the final report, when issued, will reflect the preponderance of real-world evidence and broader RCTs showing both the clinical and economic benefits of treating sleep apnea with positive airway pressure.”

We’ve been doing a lot of talking here at HME News about the Philips recall. In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s all anyone’s been talking about in the industry, on webinars, on state association calls, to me.Forget COVID. "This is going to be far worse,” is a common refrain.It’s not hard to understand why, even as we don’t yet fully know how far the ripple effect will spread. While the immediate concerns have focused on just getting information to communicating with patients to worrying about the existing supply chain issues, longer range are billing concerns and blowback from insurers and the general public.I suspect many providers will also see a small percentage of patients who may have already been on the fence about using CPAP use the recall as an excuse to “throw away the device,” as one panelist said on a June 18 webcast hosted by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, which drew so much interest not everyone who wanted to could join in.In speaking with CPAP providers, the reactions range from furious (“I am so angry with Philips right now it is probably best I do not express my opinions” from one provider) to sympathetic (“This type of a recall is fairly unprecedented for our industry so I’m patient,” said another).At any rate, the recall is certainly keeping us hopping here at HME News. Unfortunately, I suspect it's also causing a lot of sleepness nights out there, too.

HIBBING, Minn. – Fairview Home Medical Equipment, formerly known as HealthLine Medical Supply, has changed its name to M Health Fairview Home Medical Equipment. The company has also moved to a new location within the Mesabi Mall, according to Hometown Focus, that provide easier showroom access through an entrance on the West/back side of the building. M Health provides a variety of equipment and supplies, including POCs, CPAP devices, breast pumps and compression garments. In addition to Hibbing, it has locations in Burnsville, Edina, Maplewood, St. Paul, Woodbury, and Wyoming, Minn. 

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. – InfuSystem Holdings has entered into a joint agreement with Bio Compression Systems to add lymphedema therapy to its Integrated Therapy Service (ITS) platform. As part of the new relationship, InfuSystem’s solutions will include providing pneumatic compression devices with calibrated and non-calibrated gradient pressure, garments and certified technicians for proper fitting of the compression system. InfuSystem was recently designated as a Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP) to provide pneumatic compression devices for the lymphedema market. “We are excited to announce our fourth therapy with the addition of lymphedema to our ITS platform, joining our existing therapies - oncology, pain management and wound care,” said Richard DiIorio, CEO of InfuSystem. “With our recent CHAP accreditation, we expect to begin onboarding new customers and treating patients in the next 60 days, with a significant revenue contribution from our new Lymphedema therapy in 2022 to 2023.” InfuSystem also provides DME to support the ITS platform and to win incremental business from its direct payer clients. The DME segment is comprised of direct payer rentals, pump and consumable sales, and biomedical services and repair. InfuSystem also operates Centers of Excellence in Michigan, Kansas, California, Massachusetts, Texas and Ontario, Canada. 

YARMOUTH, Maine – Obstructive sleep apnea is often under recognized and understated in cardiovascular practice, despite its high prevalence in patients with heart diseases and the vulnerability of cardiac patients to OSA-related stressors and adverse cardiovascular outcomes, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association. “We recommend screening for OSA in patients with resistant/poorly controlled hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, and recurrent atrial fibrillation after either cardioversion or ablation,” the statement says. OSA prevalence is as high as 40% to 80% in patients with hypertension, atrial fibrillation and stroke, the association believes. The statement, which was published in Circulation, says all patients with OSA should be considered for treatment, including behavioral modifications and weight loss, as indicated. It says CPAP therapy should be offered to patients with severe OSA and oral appliances can be considered for patients with mild- to moderate OSA who are CPAP-intolerant. 

INDIANAPOLIS – Rehab Medical has named Olga Chaikouskaya as its new CFO to oversee its financial operations. Chaikouskaya has more than 20 years of overall financial experience in diverse industries, including manufacturing, retail and nonprofit organizations. She will lead Rehab Medical through a rapid growth stage, during which it has increased revenue 30% in 2018, 2019 and 2020. “This opportunity to positively impact lives, both internally and externally, is something that really resonated with me,” she said. “I look forward to improving the efficiency and innovation with Rehab Medical in its effort to become the national leader in custom advanced medical equipment.” Prior to joining Rehab Medical, Chaikouskaya was CFO of Stratosphere Quality, a provider of quality assurance services. There, she was responsible for managing all financial aspects of the company in North America and led the company to being named an Inc. 5000 company for five consecutive years.

LONDON – Belluscura has signed its first U.S. distribution agreement for its X-PLO2R portable oxygen concentrator portfolio. The company has issued its first purchase order, with delivery expected in the third quarter, according to reports. The X-PLO2R is a lightweight POC cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration designed to replace larger, metal oxygen tanks and heavier devices. Belluscura began trading on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) on the London Stock Exchange earlier this year. It also raised 17.5 million pounds supported by new and existing investors.  

OWINGS MILLS, Md. – The Board of Certification/Accreditation (BOC) seeks nominations for the Jim Newberry Award for Extraordinary Service. The award, which recognizes outstanding individuals who demonstrate extraordinary service to BOC, is presented in honor and remembrance of longtime practitioner, BOC board member and leader James Newberry, Jr., BOCP, BOCO, BOCD, who passed away in 2016. “We are pleased to continue Jim’s legacy by recognizing exemplary professionals who have demonstrated their commitment to BOC through volunteerism, advocacy, board service and other service to the organization,” said L. Bradley Watson, BOCO, BOCP, LPO, chair of BOC’s board. Nominees might include, but are not limited to, former BOC board members, BOC volunteers, vendors and consultants. To review the award requirements and nominate a colleague for the award, visit the Jim Newberry Award for Extraordinary Service page on BOC’s website. BOC will accept nominations until Sept. 3.

RICHMOND, Va. – ABC Health Care hosted a meeting on June 23 with the staff of Rep. Donald McEachin, D-Va., a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee. During the meeting, the group discussed concerns with access to and reimbursement for home medical equipment. “A member of Rep McEachin’s staff was very engaged in the conversation, noting she had family who used oxygen, CPAP and hospital beds,” according to a press release from VGM and ACMESA. “She dealt with her own issues accessing quality services and products.” Attendees of the meeting included Sam Clay of AdaptHealth, John Gallagher of VGM, and Matt Russel and Stephanie Harris of ABC Health Care.

WASHINGTON – Noridian Healthcare Solutions has posted FAQs for Jurisdictions A and D on the impact of the Philips recall on coverage and billing for Medicare beneficiaries, AAHomecare has reported. Among the questions in the FAQ: How shouldDMEsuppliers address the situation with Medicare beneficiaries who are in the first 90-days adherence metric in thePAPandRADLocal Coverage Determinations (LCDs)? Response:During the Public Health Emergency (PHE),CMShas instructed theDME MACs to not enforce clinical indications of coverage for the types of respiratory devices involved in the voluntary recall. Services must still be reasonable and necessary. Once a beneficiary gets the new replacement equipment, do they have to restart the 90-day adherence trial? Or do they just pick it up where they left off? Response:The beneficiary has the option to restart the 90-day adherence trial or they may resume meeting the adherence metric where they left off. The supplier should notate their records if the recall impacted the beneficiary’s adherence timeline. What shouldDMEsuppliers do if a beneficiary wishes to return their Philips Respironics product that is impacted by the voluntary recall? Response:Suppliers are reminded that theCMSSupplier Standards (42CFR424.57) apply to this situation, specifically Standard #15 – [Suppliers]Must accept returns from beneficiaries of substandard (less than full quality for the particular item or unsuitable items, inappropriate for the beneficiary at the time it was fitted and rented or sold). If beneficiaries choose not to continuePAP,RADor ventilator use until their equipment has been replaced, how does that affect the supplier as far as Medicare standards? Are they required to provide temporary replacement equipment? Response:If aDMEsupplier continues to bill forPAP,RAD, or ventilators, they are required to provide the equipment for which they’re billing. If a beneficiary chooses to wait for new equipment, does theDMEsupplier stop billing for rental? Is it a break in service that they simply pickup when the new equipment is provided? Response:Yes, theDMEsupplier must stop billing, and resumption of billing would occur with the next unbilled rental month. There is no break in service because the requirements for a new capped rental billing are not met.CMSdefines a 60-plus consecutive day interruption as a period including two full rental months plus whatever days are remaining in the rental month during which the need ends. In addition to the timing requirement, there must also be a change in medical necessity, defined as a resolution of the condition that created the first period of medical necessity and the subsequent development of a second event that creates a new period of medical necessity. In the voluntary recall situation, there is no change in medical necessity as a result of the recall; therefore, there is no break in service and no new capped rental. AAHomecare said on Friday that it planned to provide additional perspective on the guidance this week. Philips announced the recall of certain Bi-Level CPAP, CPAP and mechanical ventilator devices on June 14 to address identified potential health risks related to the polyester-based polyurethan sound abatement foam component in these devices.  

YARMOUTH, Maine – Manufacturers like ResMed and 3B Medical are ramping up production to meet increased demand due to a voluntary recall of millions of Philips CPAP devices, but their efforts are complicated by supply chain and other challenges. “Yes, we’re ramping up production as quickly as possible, while working closely with our global supplier network to navigate the well-known global supply chain challenges impacting this and other industries,” said Jayme Rubenstein, a ResMed spokesperson.  Following the announcement of the recall on June 14, ResMed told customers to place all orders for CPAP and APAP devices for the month by June 18. The company expects to start taking new orders on, or soon after, July 1. Due to supply chain challenges, ResMed says it is prioritizing orders with “highest-acuity needs,” Rubenstein says. “Our top priority is patients’ safety and wellbeing,” he said. 3B Medical says it is working with its factory to guarantee a higher number of CPAP devices – “a large multiplier over what we’re currently getting from them,” says Katherine Royster, vice president of sales and marketing. “We are surging manufacturing and relying on air freight for the next two months to raise stocking levels to meet demand,” she said. Following the announcement of the recall, 3B also paused sales and implemented a “priority allocation” program, whereby the company is negotiating strategic agreements with customers to “protect the availability of CPAP devices” based on their historical purchasing levels, Royster says.  “We’re really looking at identifying strategic partners who are looking at a relationship with us for the long-term,” she said. “The day the recall happened, we got thousands of orders from brokers and third parties. We put everything on hold so we could investigate every account. We didn’t want anyone buying everything and flipping it at a profit.” Fisher & Paykel Healthcare says it has seen an increase in demand for its CPAP devices, but due to supply chain challenges, “we are currently unable to increase production rates significantly,” says Subbarao Potharaju, director of marketing for homecare. “We appreciate this is a difficult situation for our customers and will update our field sales teams if the position improves,” he said.  In many ways, the timing of the Philips recall couldn’t be worse. Combine supply chain challenges with the pent-up demand for CPAP therapy from the COVID-19 pandemic, and all manufacturers are strained. “It’s a perfect storm,” Royster said. “At the end of the day, it’s all about taking care of the patients and the industry as a whole, as we navigate through this.”

YARMOUTH, Maine – As sleep stakeholders band together to address the Philips recall, they're grappling not only with equipment shortages, but also risk assessment and who should be at the front of the line for repairs and replacements. In announcing the recall, Philips advised Bi-Level and CPAP patients to discontinue using affected devices and work with their physicians or HME providers to determine the most appropriate options for continued treatment. “It should not be first come, first served,” said Dr. Shannon Sullivan, chair of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s Public Safety Committee. “We all know in our heads (what patients) we’d like to see first in line. How do we communicate that and (do this in a way) that is clinically forward?” Sullivan moderated a live panel discussion on June 18 with representatives from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) and American Thoracic Society to discuss the impact of the recall on patient care and sleep center operations. Sleep therapy isn’t a one-size fits all approach, panelists said, and with solutions for the affected devices months down the road, stakeholders need to consider many factors, including the patient’s comfort level with the possible risk of continuing CPAP therapy, whether the patient has co-morbidities, whether the patient needs CPAP as a requirement of their job and the age of the patient’s device. “There are certain questions we are all going to be asking and not start with discontinue use (if you don’t fit into certain categories),” said Dr. Peter Gay, representing CHEST. “It really isn’t a good idea to tell a bus driver to stop using CPAP.” One thing is certain: DMEs are caught in the middle, says Dr. Brittany Meyer, MD, AASM representative. “The problem is, a lot of physicians don’t (prescribe) the type of device – that falls on the DME,” she said. “Then, Philips said to contact the DME but the DME doesn’t feel comfortable making these decisions and are referring them back to the sleep labs or physicians, so I don’t think there’s an easy answer. It comes down to the DMEs and the sleep physicians to work more closely to prioritize which patients do we repair and replace first.”

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. – BodiMetrics is ramping up exposure for its CIRCUL Sleep & Fitness Ring by partnering with VGM & Associates and exploring an advertising campaign in Prevention Magazine. The Ring, which is Bluetooth-connected to a user’s smart phone, can be used for everything from tracking overnight sleep to monitoring daytime SpO2 and heart rate to recording workouts, making it ideal for monitoring CPAP and other therapies, says Jim Gilkison, vice president of sales. “It’s a huge market with huge applications,” he said. “We are doing a direct-to-consumer play through Hearst, (which owns Prevention Magazine), but also a DME provider play through VGM to ensure that patient therapy is effective. Telemedicine means different things to different people, but for us, it’s having information that’s easy for doctors, caregivers and patients to see. It really plugs the patient into their therapy, so they can see the results and take care of themselves.” BodiMetrics launched a new model of the Ring in May, the CIRCUL Plus, that also records temperature, as well as blood pressure and ECG data. Additionally, it has a 20-hour battery, is USB rechargeable and is waterproof.  The company has also secured approval for the Ring for purchases through Flexible Spending Accounts and is in the process of securing approval for the device by Veterans Affairs. “We’re already doing studies right now with the VA, as well as the University of Florida, on how pigmentation of skin isn’t an issue with the CIRCUL Ring because it reads on the inside of the finger,” Gilkison said. “So, there is no disparity in oximetry readings in Caucasian people and people of color.” Up next for BodiMetrics: an orb that can be placed above a patient’s bed to “monitor the patient without touching the patient,” Gilkison said. “When you incorporate this with the Ring, it will be a solid way to get feedback for your patient,” he said. Gilkison joined BodiMetrics earlier this year from SoClean, a company that also leveraged both the DTC and B2B markets. “We’ve been strong clinically, with our advisory board including people like Meir Kryger, M.D., (a professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine), who is the father of sleep medicine,” he said. “But when it came to the market and awareness, we needed to get our name out there. That’s why the partnership with VGM and the advertising is so important.” 

PHOENIX – Medtrade West exhibitors are counting on a flurry of activity from attendees eager to get back to pre-pandemic interaction when the trade show convenes in person July 12-14 in Phoenix. To be sure, it has been a long hiatus from face-to-face meetings at booths on the show floor, but Medtrade organizers, sponsors and exhibitors believe the time is finally right to get together once again. “The past 15 months have demonstrated the value of home-based care like no other period in recent memory,” said Tom Ryan, president and CEO of AAHomecare.“Now’s the time to connect with your fellow HME leaders, take advantage of exceptional educational programming, and get motivated to have a great second half of 2021.Medtrade West is where we finally can put the pandemic in the rearview mirror and start the journey forward.” Mark Kolnsberg, senior director of marketing and product management for North Billerica, Mass.-based Breas Medical, believes that lockdown-weary attendees will embrace the opportunity to get out and mingle with industry colleagues. “We are creatures that enjoy and need direct human interaction,” said. “After a year of virtual meetings, it will be good to do some on-site shopping and learning face-to-face.” Key to the success of this year’s Medtrade West is the bold commitment from exhibitors to lead the way in mapping out the HME industry’s future, said Jeffrey Distasio, senior director of Pride sales for Exeter, Pa.-based Pride Mobility/Quantum Rehab. “Pride has always supported the industry in a big way, and we will continue to do so,” he said.“There are a myriad number of ways that we support the industry, with trade shows being part of that equation. It is very important to be part of a leading homecare event and share with others who want to learn about the clinical and economic value your solutions can bring to patients and business partnerships.” Not only will an in-person Medtrade West serve as a pressure relief valve for participants, it will also be a unifying experience that offers a competitive advantage, Ryan said. “Exhibitors and attendees at Medtrade West will be getting a head start on strengthening their businesses and preparing for the challenges ahead, both individually and as an industry,” he said. “We’re better together, and nothing brings us together like Medtrade.”

WASHINGTON – CMS has announced a 90-day suspension of scheduled Medicare cuts to accessories for complex rehab manual wheelchairs, NCART reports. That extends an 18-month suspension that would have expired on July 1 to Oct. 1. “They will use this time for further analysis and, hopefully, a permanent suspension,” Don Clayback, executive director of NCART, tweeted today. “Thank you advocates, Congress and CMS.” On Monday, a letter led by Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., and signed by 19 members of Congress was sent to CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure asking her to stop the Medicare payment cuts. CMS said it is extending the suspension based on several factors: Beneficiaries with disabilities such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, spinal cord injury, and traumatic brain injury often rely on complex rehabilitative wheelchairs and accessories to maximize their function and independence. It is important to avoid any potential operational difficulties for suppliers, our partners in the Medicaid program or private payers that have elected to rely on the DMEPOS fee schedule that could result from frequent updates to the Medicare fee schedules. Finally, this action is consistent with prior Medicare program policy actions related to similar accessories for complex power rehabilitative wheelchairs as described in section 2 of the Patient Access and Medicare Protection Act of 2015. "CMS is actively reviewing public comments submitted to the agency on related rulemakings, including engaging in future rulemaking, and will update interested stakeholders and suppliers when more information is available,” the agency said.   Philips recall: AASM calls for support from CMS, payers DARIEN, Ill. – The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and other professional organizations are making the case to CMS and private payers that the 90-day adherence rule for PAP therapy should be temporarily suspended in the wake of the Philips recall. “Given that many patients will be affected by the recall, we are requesting support from CMS and private payers to temporarily suspend the 90-day adherence rule to allow patients to have existing equipment repaired or receive new equipment from DME suppliers,” the letter states. The American Academy of Neurology, the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Thoracic Society, the Alliance of Sleep Apnea Partners and the American Sleep Apnea Association joined the AASM in sending the letter to CMS and private payers. The groups also make the case for CMS making an exception to the RUL requirements for the equipment repairs or replacements that will result from the recall. “Our societies believe that it is both reasonable and necessary to allow DME suppliers to repair or replace the recalled equipment without requiring documentation of a new clinical evaluation, sleep test or trial period, and do not think patients should be responsible for the repair or replacement costs,” the letter states. To read the letter to CMS in full, go here. To ready the letter to private payers, go here. OSHA weighs in on COVID workplace safety WASHINGTON – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) seeks comments on an *interim final rule, the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), that has been posted to the Federal Register website.   The ETS stems from an executive order signed by President Biden in January 2021 to protect worker health and safety. It directed OSHA to take action to reduce the risk for workers of contracting COVID-19 in the workplace. The ETS contains several requirements that apply to most settings where any employee provides health care services or health care support services, including DME suppliers and home health agencies. Employers will have 14 to 30 days to comply, depending on the standard. Key requirements of the ETS include: The employer must develop and implement a COVID-19 plan for each workplace. If the employer has more than 10 employees, the COVID-19 plan must be in writing. The employer must designate one or more workplace COVID-19 safety coordinators to implement and monitor the COVID-19 plan. The employer must conduct a workplace-specific hazard assessment to identify potential workplace hazards related to COVID-19. For an employer to be exempt from providing controls based on employees’ fully vaccinated status, the COVID-19 plan must include policies and procedures to determine employees’ vaccination status. The employer must seek the input and involvement of non-managerial employees and their representatives, if any, in the hazard assessment and the development and implementation of the COVID-19 plan. The employer must monitor each workplace to ensure the ongoing effectiveness of the COVID-19 plan and update it as needed. An employer’s COVID-19 plan must also address the hazards identified by the assessment and include policies and procedures to minimize the risk of transmission of COVID-19 for each employee and effectively communicate and coordinate with other employers when workspace is shared by multiple employers. Additionally, the COVID-19 plan must contain provisions that protect employees who enter into private residences or other physical locations controlled by a person not covered by the OSH Act (e.g., homeowners, sole proprietors). This must include procedures for employees to withdraw from that location if those protections are inadequate. Senators re-introduce bill to improve access to custom breast prosthetics WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, on June 15 re-introduced legislation to ensure that breast cancer patients and survivors who have had a mastectomy are able to access custom breast prosthetics under Medicare. The Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act of 2021 would provide coverage for custom fabricated breast prostheses – which, unlike other prosthetic devices, aren’t covered by Medicare – to more than 100,000 women who undergo mastectomies annually, according to Essentially Women, a division of the VGM Group. “We can do so much more to help survivors of breast cancer return to health and achieve the best quality of life,” Duckworth said. “This bi-partisan legislation is an important step in continuing to expand health care coverage for women and achieving health equity for older women and women of color.” Duckworth and Murkowski were joined by Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., in introducing the legislation. Similar legislation introduced in the 116th Congress drew support from 4 co-sponsors.  AdvaMed urges Biden to prioritize transportation of medical equipment WASHINGTON – AdvaMed President and CEO Scott Whittaker has asked President Biden to make the transport of medical supplies and equipment a “top priority” during the current logistics and transport crisis. “While we appreciate that multiple industries are affected by these disruptions, we believe the implications for the health care system and patient care are imperative as we head into the fall, which brings with it flu season and uncertainty around COVID-19 variants in unvaccinated populations,” the letter states. AdvaMed points out in the letter that the challenges at major U.S. and international ports – including container shortages, limited unloading space and insufficient trucking capacity – continue as purchasing behavior in the country has dramatically shifted during the pandemic. The association also highlighted how the medical device industry has ramped up to around-the-clock operations to meet the increased demand due to the pandemic – exponentially increasing PPE production, ramping up ventilator manufacturing by more than tenfold and shipping more than 1 billion tests in the U.S. within 15 months. AdvaMed thanked the administration for its efforts to ensure patients have the care they need stating, “In particular, we’ve appreciated the dedicated work of your COVID-19 response team, which has been working tirelessly to address supply chain bottlenecks and disruptions to facilitate our industry’s efforts to tackle the pandemic.”  AdvaMed is a medical technology association representing more than 400 companies. Medicaid, CHIP enrollees increase 13.9% WASHINGTON – A record more than 80 million individuals now have health coverage through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), according to a new Enrollment Trends Snapshot Report that CMS released this week. Nearly 9.9 million individuals, a 13.9% increase, enrolled in coverage between February 2020, the month before the public health emergency was declared, and January 2021, according to the report, which is released monthly. “This report reminds us what a critical program and rock Medicaid continues to be in giving tens of millions of children and adults access to care,” said Xavier Becerra, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. “This pandemic taught us that now more than, we must work to strengthen Medicaid and make it available whenever and wherever it’s needed using the unprecedented investments Congress provided.” The increase in total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment is largely attributed to the impact of the PHE, in particular, enactment of section 6008 of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. FFCRA provides states with a temporary 6.2% payment increase in Federal Medical Assistance Percentage funding. States qualify for the funding by adhering to the Maintenance of Effort requirement, which ensures eligible people enrolled in Medicaid stay enrolled and covered during the PHE. Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, a total of 80,543,351 people were enrolled and receiving full benefits from the Medicaid and CHIP programs by the end of January 2021. In the 50 states that reported total Medicaid child and CHIP enrollment data for January 2021, more than 38.3 million children were enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP combined, approximately 50% of the total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment. Registration opens for AAH Legislative Conference WASHINGTON – Registration is open for AAHomecare’s first-ever Virtual Washington Legislative Conference, which takes place Sept. 29 from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET. Along with partner Advocacy Associates, AAHomecare will schedule meetings and provide a Zoom link to use for conversations with legislators and key members of staff. The association will also provide training on Sept. 22 at 2:30pm ET that will cover how to use its meeting site and issue education. The cost is $129 for members and $149 for non-members. Register here. Crowdsourcing platform launches challenge to develop better oxygen solution BETHESDA, Md. – HeroX, a social network and crowdsourcing platform, has launched the “Air You Wear Challenge” on behalf of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The challenge seeks to develop more portable, easy-to-use options for patients on supplemental oxygen. Patients who use oxygen consistently say oxygen should be lighter and more portable. “This is the perfect opportunity to tap the global network to solve a problem that affects so many people,” said Christian Cotichini, CEO, HeroX. “The options currently on the market don’t live up to our innovative capacity: oxygen cylinders are heavy and cumbersome, and oxygen concentrators have limited battery life, precluding some patients from being able to use them.” The two-phase challenge will award a total of $500,000 in prizes. In Phase 1, up to eight teams proposing the most compelling and impactful solutions will each receive up to $50,000 to help develop a working prototype and/or demonstration of their proposed approach during the Phase 2 development period. At the end of Phase 2, up to three teams will be awarded first, second and third prizes of $60,000, $30,000 and $10,000, respectively, for the best prototypes/demonstrations. AARC releases videos to thank RTs IRVING, Texas – The American Association of Respiratory Care has released a series of new videos, “Thank a Respiratory Therapist,” to help increase community awareness of the profession and highlight the essential role RTs have played in patient care during COVID-19 and beyond. “Like many health care professionals working on the front lines of the pandemic, respiratory therapists worked tirelessly and selflessly to help patients everywhere,” said Sheri Tooley, president and CEO. “They are essential to patients in all care settings. They provide unique, specialized skills to the patients they care for. And for that, we say thank you. Thank you to respiratory therapists everywhere for your commitment to saving lives every day.” The videos are available in English and Spanish and can be found on YouTube and the AARC website. Roll on Capitol Hill names Advocate of Year WASHINGTON – Natalie Barnhard was named the recipient of the Finn Bullers Advocate of the Year Award at this year’s United Spinal Association Roll on Capitol Hill event, which took place virtually June 14-16. Barnhard is the chapter leader of the Western New York Chapter of United Spinal and the founder and president of Motion Project Foundation. She has been a wheelchair user for 16 years, following a spinal cord injury while at work as a physical therapy assistant (PTA).  In September, the Natalie Barnhard Center for Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation and Recovery will celebrate its grand opening. This year’s Roll on Capitol Hill drew about 200 attendees from across the country. PHS grows presence in Ohio ROSEVILLE, Minn. – Pediatric Home Service has expanded its services in Ohio, partnering with Advanced Medical Equipment and Central Ohio Specialty Care, a division of AME. “Our mission of providing at-home solutions for medically complex pediatric patients remains at the forefront of everything we do,” said Cameo Zehnder, CEO of PHS. “We hope this partnership expands our ability to support not only the family, but also the health care professional team, empowering them to make decisions in the best interest of the patient.” In October, PHS expanded its presence in Texas, when it partnered with San Antonio-based Alliance Medical Supply. The provider has locations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. Inogen names incoming counsel GOLETA, Calif. – Inogen’s board of directors has appointed Jason Somer as executive vice president and general counsel and secretary, effective July 12. “On behalf of the board, I would like to congratulate Jason on this appointment as I believe that he will be a tremendous asset to Inogen and a great addition to our executive team,” said Nabil Shabshab, CEO. “I believe Jason’s 25 years of experience in general counsel and attorney roles will be a great enabler in building a stronger Inogen and further strengthening our legal and compliance functions as we continue to evolve and roll out our ongoing growth strategy.” Somer currently serves as head legal counsel at Invoca, a SaaS analytics company. Prior to that, he served as associate general counsel at Sunniva, and as general counsel and corporate secretary for Innova Gaming Group. NSM named Top Workplace NASHVILLE, Tenn. – National Seating & Mobility has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2021 honor by The Tennessean for the third consecutive year. The list is based solely on anonymous employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by Energage, an employee engagement technology company. “As reflected in our core values, NSM team members consistently have our clients’ best interests at heart,” said Bill Mixon, CEO. “Despite serving some of the most vulnerable populations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our team continued to work seamlessly to ensure mobility and accessibility needs were met for our clients.” The survey measures workplace culture, including alignment, coaching, connection, engagement, leadership and performance, as well as basics like pay, benefits, flexibilities and more. NSM operates 182 branches across the U.S. and Canada, with more than 2,300 employees, 70 of whom work in the Franklin, Tenn.-based corporate office and middle-Tennessee branches, and 250 of whom work in the Chattanooga, Tenn.-based operations center and branch. Short takes: Supreme Medical, Admiral Medical Supplies, Reliable Medical, Soleo Health, OneDropSupreme Medical Fulfillment has become a silver associate sponsor of the Georgia Association of Medical Equipment Suppliers (GAMES). “Being a faster company matters today more than ever,” said Colton Mason, senior vice president. “If we receive an order by 4:30 p.m. ET, Supreme is able to deliver those supplies or equipment to a patient’s home or provider’s location in Georgia within one or two days. In a time when some vendors are struggling to get orders delivered within a week, we feel our speed gives us a powerful message to talk about with GAMES members.” The company, a family-owned distributor based in Theodore, Ala., will be exhibiting at the upcoming GAMES Annual Meeting Aug. 1-3 in St. Simons Island, Ga…Admiral Medical Supplies opened its doors in June in Flower Mound, Texas. The company is currently accepting customers only by appointment, but it expects to be fully open on July 1. Admiral Medical Supplies sells, rents and repairs home medical equipment...Reliable Medical has been recognized as a Top Workplaces 2021 by the Star Tribune for the seventh consecutive year. The Minneapolis-based provider operates 10 branches across Minnesota, Ohio and Kentucky with more than 150 employees…Soleo Health has named Becky Rand vice president of business development, industry relations. Rand has more than 20 years of experience in specialty pharmacy, most recently as vice president, manufacturer relations at ExceleraRx…OneDrop has appointed Carrie Siragusa as vice president of commercial strategy. Siragusa has more than 15 years of financial, operational and marketing experience in public and private organizations in the pharmaceutical, health sciences and life sciences, most recently leading the Innovation and Diabetes Portfolio team at Sanofi. Tomorrow Health recruits Amazon exec NEW YORK – Krishnakumar Rajagopalan has left Amazon, where he spent seven years building systems for retail, advertising and AWS, to join Tomorrow Health as head of engineering. Rajagopalan was part of teams at Amazon building e-commerce search engines, fulfillment systems, advertising systems and a new AWS AI service. “I have joined Tomorrow Health as the head of engineering where I will continue my journey as a builder – building systems that will improve the lives of millions of patients and their families,” he said. Aside from the impact of working for Tomorrow Health, Rajagopalan said he joined the company because of its technology challenges. “Our tech stack spans what one might expect from a tech-enabled marketplace, but with a health care twist,” he said. “We are building interfaces to medical systems, order workflows, fulfillment technology and data systems to track operations by the minute – all with a specialized focus on the clinic rules and routing technology that exists within health care. There is a lot of opportunity to work on real world problems and build systems to scale, with each workflow directly resulting in better care for a patient in need.”   Rehab Medical invests in employee growth INDIANAPOLIS – Rehab Medical has appointed Julie Klarich as director of employee development and engagement. She will lead the company’s enrichment initiatives, including the Your Better Self initiative launched in 2020. “Having a great company starts with having great employees,” said Kevin Gearheart, president. “We have invested a lot of time and energy coming up with some great initiatives geared toward employee development and engagement, and now we have someone who is a perfect fit to lead these initiatives.” Klarich has spent more than a decade providing professional development, organizational leadership and relationship management consulting. She was most recently director of affiliate relations at the Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance and previously a consultant at Eli Lilly. Rehab Medical’s Your Better Self Program works to develop employee skills through various training programs, such as the Leadership Exploration and Development (LEAD) program, and mentorship programs dedicated to coaching new hires in the first six months. Oventus highlights DTC business BRISBANE, Australia – Oventus Medical says current data indicate that 60% of all patient referrals are coming direct-to-consumer from through two websites: gopapfree.com and o2vent.com. Additionally, the company says the number of telehealth consultations scheduled has increased 25% in the current quarter compared to the previous quarter. “Since Oventus launched its telehealth initiative as a result of COVID-19, the patient funnel has captured more than 2,000 patients,” the company stated in an update. “This growing database of interested patients looking to access Oventus Airway Technology informs the company’s marketing strategy and underpins future growth. As this program matures over the coming months and digital assets are redeveloped with improved visibility on conversion rates and customer acquisition costs, the return on investment into this channel will become more predictable and investment into this channel can be prioritized to accelerate sales growth.” Oventus also announced that Sleep Clinic Services in Brisbane has signed on to the company’s virtual lab-in-lab program. Under the agreement, Sleep Clinic Services will market and distribute O2Vent therapy to patients through the program.

MINNEAPOLIS - Reliable Medical has been recognized as a Top Workplaces 2021 by the Star Tribune for the seventh consecutive year. The Minneapolis-based provider operates 10 branches across Minnesota, Ohio and Kentucky with more than 150 employees. "We are honored to maintain this recognition, as supporting our Reliamed family and remaining an employer of choice in our industry is an important goal for our organization," said Katie Stevens, CEO. "We endeavor to improve all of the lives we touch, and our mission expands beyond just the quality of life of our customers, to that of our team members." The Top Workplaces list is based on anonymous employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by Energage, an employee engagement technology provider. The survey measures workplace culture, including alignment, coaching, engagement, leadership and performance, as well as basics like pay, benefits, flexibility and more.

DARIEN, Ill. – The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and other professional organizations are making the case to CMS and private payers that the 90-day adherence rule for PAP therapy should be temporarily suspended in the wake of the Philips recall. “Given that many patients will be affected by the recall, we are requesting support from CMS and private payers to temporarily suspend the 90-day adherence rule to allow patients to have existing equipment repaired or receive new equipment from DME suppliers,” the letter states. The American Academy of Neurology, the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Thoracic Society, the Alliance of Sleep Apnea Partners and the American Sleep Apnea Association joined the AASM in sending the letter to CMS and private payers. The groups also make the case for CMS making an exception to the RUL requirements for the equipment repairs or replacements that will result from the recall. “Our societies believe that it is both reasonable and necessary to allow DME suppliers to repair or replace the recalled equipment without requiring documentation of a new clinical evaluation, sleep test or trial period, and do not think patients should be responsible for the repair or replacement costs,” the letter states. To read the letter to CMS in full, go here. To ready the letter to private payers, go here. 

DARIEN, Ill. – The American Academy of Sleep Medicine will host a live panel discussion on Friday about the impact of the Philips PAP device recall notification on vulnerable populations, including pediatric and vent patients. The discussion, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET, will cover: Allocation of limited supplies – How to prioritize the medically most needy given the limited supply of home ventilators for patients needing them. Respiratory therapy in hospitals – How to navigate hospital needs due to the recall of the A-Series devices (which are similar in broad functionality to OmniLabs). Special issues for pediatrics – Unknown differential effects of chemical/particulate exposure in the very young; limited information dissemination and limited supply of alternatives. Research – How to ethically navigate care for those enrolled in clinical trials. The discussion will be moderated by Shannon Sullivan, MD, chair of the AASM Public Safety Committee.The panelists are:Rakesh Bhattacharjee, MD, AASM representative;Joshua Benditt, MD, medical director, respiratory care services, University of Medical Center;Michelle Cao, DO, AASM representative;Michael Howell, MD, American Academy of Neurology representative;Sherri Katz, MD, Canadian Thoracic Society and pediatric assembly representative;Jennifer Martin, PhD, AASM representative;Jeremy Orr, MD, American Thoracic Society representative; andLisa Wolfe, MD, CHEST representative.  No registration is required for the free discussion. Following the live event, AASM will make available a recording. The AASM previously hosted a discussion on the impact of the recall on patient care and sleep center operations.

WASHINGTON – Registration is open for AAHomecare’s first-ever Virtual Washington Legislative Conference, which takes place Sept. 29 from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET. Along with partner Advocacy Associates, AAHomecare will schedule meetings and provide a Zoom link to use for conversations with legislators and key members of staff. The association will also provide training on Sept. 22 at 2:30pm ET that will cover how to use its meeting site and issue education. The cost is $129 for members and $149 for non-members. Register here.