Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/52926
■ Got questions about the ATP exam? Andrea Van Hook, RESNA's new marketing manager, has the answers. See story page 22. CMS delays demonstration projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Medicaid Summit rallies industry .................... 21 The year in mobility stories ........................ 21 Business is "booming" at MRS Homecare ............ 23 Mobility WWW.HMENEWS.COM / FEBRUARY 2012 / HME NEWS 21 BRIEFS NRRTS: Stossel show comments 'misleading' WALSENBURG, Colo. – NRRTS on Jan. 3 is- sued a press release criticizing comments made during an episode of Fox Business Channel's Stossel Show. The Dec. 16 episode featured Jennifer Thieme Kehres, marketing manager for scooter manufac- turer Amigo Mobility, discussing the ben- efits of scooters over power wheelchairs. NRRTS disputed Kehres' claims, which it said were "misleading." Among the state- ments that NRRTS took issue with: That the choice between a scooter and power wheelchair is driven by profit. "This is not only erroneous, but borders on slander," stated ATP Rachel Spiers. The release asks Stossel to "reconsider the statements made on his show." Int'l Seating Symposium to be held March 6-9 VANCOUVER, B.C. – This year's International Seating Symposium, hosted by Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, will be held at the Westin Bayshore in Vancouver, B.C. The March 6-9 event will feature educa- tional sessions, exhibits and case studies. Presenters include Mark Schmeler, a pro- fessor at University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation; Michael Flow- ers, president of Active Controls; and Kay Koch, manager of education for Mobility Designs. For more information: www.inter- professional.ubc.ca/iss. Noridian clarifies leg rest billing, reimbursement WASHINGTON – Noridian Administrative Ser- vices, the DME MAC for Jurisdiction D, is- sued in December an alert explaining the amount reimbursed for a center mount leg rest (K0108). The DME MAC stated it would reimburse the leg rest using the fixed price it has established based on the CMS instructed pricing methodology from directions in the Code of Federal Regula- tions Section 405.501 and 405.502. The two sections state that the charge Medi- care pays must be reasonable and include criteria for reasonableness. Eleanore's Project seeks volunteers for 2012 trip LIMA, Peru – Volunteers with Eleanore's Project will make another trip to Peru March 17-30 to help properly fit children there into wheelchairs. The project is still looking for more volunteers to host wheelchair clinics in Lima and Puerto Maldonado, Peru. The organization has been holding clinics in the Peruvian rainforest for nearly a decade. There is no deadline to sign up for the trip, but organizers hope to have a set team by early February. More information is available at www.eleanoresproject.org. Short Take Saratoga Sub-Acute and the Children's Recovery Center of Northern California named ATG Rehab of Sunnyvale its 2011 Vendor of the Year. COMPLEX REHAB Cushions dumped from bid program Efforts to protect CRT access 'must continue,' stakeholders say BY ELIZABETH DEPREY, Associate Editor WASHINGTON – The complex rehab industry had another reason to celebrate Dec. 27 when efforts to remove skin protection wheelchair cushions from Round 2 of com- petitive bidding finally paid off. Industry efforts to exclude the four codes (E2622, E2623, E2624 and E2625) began even before Round 1 was implemented Jan. 1, 2011, and CMS agreed to make the change for Round 2. "The position that we've taken all along is that you shouldn't bid an under-defined code," said Dave McCausland, senior vice president of planning and government affairs for The Roho Group. "If you've got a code that includes a variety of products that really don't make up a homogeneous group, then you place the beneficiaries at risk." Earlier in December, CMS agreed to remove ultralight manual wheelchairs, gimbaled ventilator trays and push acti- vated power assist devices (K0005, E0986 and E1030) from Round 2. Skin protection cushions weren't a good fit for competitive bidding because pro- viders would be forced to submit bids for only a few types of cushions when there are many available, limiting access for benefi- ciaries with different skin issues and posi- tioning needs, stakeholders say. "That would be extremely detrimental to folks with disabili- ties," said Simon Mar- golis, executive director of NRRTS. "They're not custom made, but they certainly have a need for custom fitting." S. Margolis Stakeholders are pleased CMS listened to the industry and made the change. "We appreciate seeing this level of com- passion, interest and understanding coming CUSHIONS SEE PAGE 22 Medicaid Summit attendees network, share strategies BY ELIZABETH DEPREY, Associate Editor ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Medicaid issues that come up in one state often pop up in other states. That's why NCART recently offered com- plex rehab providers from around the country a chance to get together to discuss their Medicaid challenges. "It was another step toward creating more energy to put on Med- icaid issues across the country," said NCART Executive Director Don Clayback. More than 80 providers and other Don Clayback Who's selling what chair? Combining manual and power wheelchairs into one category for competitive bidding may prove problematic for provid- ers, since most providers do mainly one or the other. In fact, there is no crossover when the top 50 providers of K0823 and K0001 for 2010 are compared. stakeholders attended the NCART Medic- aid Summit, held Nov. 30 to Dec. 1 in St. Louis, Mo. One Medicaid issue that's becoming more and more challenging: audits. Jeff Baird, an industry attorney, gave a well- received presentation at the Summit on that very topic. "He gave great feedback on how to work through the audit increase that has started to develop in Medicaid (programs) across the country," said Greg Packer, vice presi- dent of The VGM Group's U.S. Rehab. The Summit was also a nice reminder for providers that they're not alone. "It was a fantastic opportunity to network SUMMIT SEE PAGE 22 The year in mobility stories BY ELIZABETH DEPREY, Associate Editor W ITH MOBILITY providers under siege in 2011—from competitive bidding to a prepay review for power mobility devices and more —it's no surprise that eight of the year's top 10 mobil- ity stories featured big changes. Taking the top spot: "Competitive bidding: Who's on the hook for wheel- chair repairs?" Already reeling from the program itself, which kicked off Jan. 1, 2011, providers in Round 1 areas didn't know who could— or should— do wheelchair repairs. Adding Stories about competitive bidding, the first-month purchase option, and the PMD demo drew the most hits on hmenews.com to the confusion: A CMS fact sheet that states any supplier can perform repairs, but only contract suppli- ers can provide certain replacement items. As Round 2 details emerged, anoth- er competitive bidding issue came to the forefront, as detailed in the No. 7 story: "Bidding marries manual, power wheelchairs." Stakeholders are still voicing opposition to the plan to combine the two disparate wheelchair types into one category. Competitive bidding wasn't the only CMS activity on mobility providers' radar in 2011. The elimination of the first-month purchase option for stan- dard power wheelchairs in the begin- ning of the year prompted the stories in the No. 3, No. 4 and No. 5 spots. As we move into 2012, the indus- try is still examining the effects the elimination has had, including wheth- er providers are exiting the market or closing up shop altogether. In November, CMS announced a 2011 SEE PAGE 23 K0823 K0001 Hoveround Corporation The Scooter Store - Orlando The Scooter Store - San Antonio The Scooter Store - Dallas The Scooter Store - Baltimore The Scooter Store - Atlanta The Scooter Store - Los Angeles The Scooter Store - Detroit The Scooter Store - Sacramento The Scooter Store - Philadelphia Medicare's efforts to group power and manual wheelchairs under competitive bidding present a challenge when most providers supply one or the other. Source: HME Databank. www.HMEDatabank.com Apria Healthcare Roberts Home Medical Lincare Rite Surgical Supplies Landauer Metropolitan Lifecare Solutions Wright & Filippis Convacare Services Care Medical Equipment Medstar Surgical & Breathing