Hart Medical gains affiliates
10/21/2013HME News StaffDETROIT – Two Michigan hospital-based systems and an affiliate of Center Line, Mich.-based Binson’s Home Health Centers have agreed to merge, according to Crain’s Detroit...
View ArticlePrivate pay rates below bid rates
10/25/2013Theresa FlahertyBlueCross BlueShield in several states plans to implement new payment rates this fall that look a lot like the Round 2 bid rates, and in some cases, worse.“They cut rates...
View ArticleRound 2: Up, down, all around
03/14/2014Theresa FlahertyYARMOUTH, Maine – More than half a year in, Round 2 of the competitive bidding program has had an uneven impact on providers in affected areas.Provider Steve Ackerman, whose...
View ArticleReporter's notebook: Burden intensifies for contract suppliers
03/28/2014Theresa FlahertyWhen it comes to managing a Round 2 contract, the low single payment amounts aren’t the only obstacle to providing timely service. Onerous documentation requirements and...
View ArticleRound 2 at one-year mark: ‘We’ve thinned the ranks’
07/03/2014Theresa FlahertyYARMOUTH, Maine – In the year since Round 2 of competitive bidding was implemented in 91 cities, the HME industry has seen a rapidly shrinking provider base.In a story that’s...
View ArticleBeing a contract supplier: Has it been worth it?
03/13/2015Tracy OrzelEditor’s note: This is the first of two stories examining the impact of competitive bidding in Round 2 areas. Next week: “Closings abound.”YARMOUTH, Maine – With the bid window for...
View ArticleClosings abound
03/20/2015Tracy OrzelSince founding Medi-Healthcare in 1985, CEO Robert Slama has seen providers come and go, but recently, he says there’s a lot more going than coming.“We’ve seen about 13 companies...
View ArticleIn brief: Utilization drops in Round 2 bid areas, retail finalists named
10/21/2016HME News StaffWASHINGTON – The number of Medicare beneficiaries receiving DMEPOS in Round 2 areas decreased more than twice as much from 2012 to 2014 than in non-bid areas, according to a new...
View ArticleNew study is wake-up call for providers, says Ryan
10/21/2016Tracy OrzelWASHINGTON – Medicare payments under the competitive bidding program are below providers’ costs and therefore unsustainable, says a new study.Medicare reimbursement rates cover, on...
View ArticleInconsistencies in bid program
11/17/2017HME News StaffBALTIMORE – CMS did not always follow its own procedures and federal requirements for awarding competitive bidding contracts consistently, according to a new report from the...
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