Funding Focus
The time for looking closely at therapy compliance is at hand.
- By Kelly Riley
- Jun 01, 2009
The Link Between Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular Disease
Although the link between sleep apnea and cardiovascular problems is well known, recent studies have shed light on just how harmful untreated sleep apnea can be to the heart.
- By Carla Saavedra
- Jun 01, 2009
The program was created for both freestanding and hospital-based sleep labs.
The program was created for both freestanding and hospital-based sleep labs.
Q2 2009 HME Business, Wachovia study shows growth expectations for next 12 months slightly down from Q4 2008 survey.
Q2 2009 HME Business, Wachovia study shows growth expectations for next 12 months slightly down from Q4 2008 survey.
Seven Steps for Building a Successful Respiratory Cash Business
Running a successful cash business requires commitment on the provider's end, including proper staff training, quality products, snazzy displays and an inviting storefront. Outlined below are seven rules that industry experts suggest providers follow to set up a respiratory retail business.
- By Lunzeta Brackens
- May 01, 2009
Provider Perspective
With Jenene Reid, general manager, Sweetwater Medical West
Addressing the respiratory conditions of bariatric patients takes more than just a CPAP.
Addressing the respiratory conditions of bariatric patients takes more than just a CPAP.
- By Carla Saavedra
- Apr 01, 2009
A roundup of some of the latest CPAP and related offerings.
A roundup of some of the latest CPAP and related offerings.
- By Carla Saavedra
- Apr 01, 2009
Funding Focus
- By Kelly Riley
- Mar 01, 2009
Philips Respironics has distributed a letter to its HME provider customers stating that it in no way plans on directly selling products to patients.
Read the results from the Q4 2008 HME Business, Wachovia sleep and wound care survey.
- By Elisha Bury
- Nov 01, 2008
An Update on the 36-Month Oxygen Cap, Competitive Bidding Delay and CPAP LCDs
Wondering what changes are in store for respiratory providers in 2009? “I think you’re going to see providers financially struggle and some may fail, big and small,” predicts Chris Kane, COO of Pacific Pulmonary Services and spokesman for the Council for Quality Respiratory Care (CQRC). “I think you will see the impact of very sudden and very significant reimbursement changes hitting providers and patients in a delayed fashion, so that it will be several months before many providers realize they’re being paid much, much less. How they react to that and what they do will be very uncertain but is bound to create a lot of distress for the patient community. We expect for our business that 2009 will be the most challenging year we’ve ever had
- By Elisha Bury
- Nov 01, 2008
Funding Focus
Editor’s Note: Following is Part II of a three-part series on the new LCDs for PAP therapy.
- By Kelly Riley
- Nov 01, 2008
Break the Habit with These Sleep Market Hot Spots
Fact: More than 75 percent of equipment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is not reimbursed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). So, if you’re a provider fretting about the 9.5-percent cuts to CPAPs and the uncertainty with the new local coverage determinations (LCDs), fear not. The sleep market, which continues to grow as more people are diagnosed with OSA, has ample opportunities that do not rely on CMS for reimbursement.
- By Elisha Bury
- Nov 01, 2008
- By Elisha Bury
- Sep 01, 2008
Funding Focus
With the recently published and long-awaited CPAP local coverage determinations (LCDs), the intake, billing and reimbursement departments will require some new checks and balances if providers have any expectation of payment. That’s because the LCDs, which apply to dates of service on or after Sept. 1*, include newly imposed hoops for the provider to jump through in order to file a clean claim. The following hoops, which will need to be cleared first by intake staff or customer service, include the collection of documents that must be in a provider’s files. These documents must reflect that the patient had a face-to-face evaluation prior to the sleep test.
- By Kelly Riley
- Sep 01, 2008
- By Elisha Bury
- Jul 17, 2008
Funding Focus
Home sleep testing, also known as portable monitoring, has been around for years, yet the recent National Coverage Decision (NCD) memo issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has many folks squirming. The NCD allows payment for CPAP devices based on unattended studies vs. traditional in-lab studies. Most HME providers want to be ready, but without a published Local Coverage Determination (LCD) from the Medicare Administrative Carriers (MAC) medical directors, they are hesitant to set company policy, communicate to referral sources or develop marketing plans.
- By Kelly Riley
- Jul 01, 2008