Notification Requirements in the Event of a HIPAA Breach
- Jeffrey S. Baird, JD
AMARILLO, TX - According to the HIPAA privacy regulations, a “covered entity” is required to notify an individual and the Secretary of DHHS “following the discovery of a breach of unsecured protected health information [PHI].” more »

Stark Guidelines for Renting Equipment From a Physician
- Jeffrey S. Baird, JD
AMARILLO, TX - To avoid a Stark violation, the equipment rental arrangement must meet one of the Stark exceptions. more »

Medtrade Group Show Director Earns Outstanding Alumni Award
ATLANTA - The School of Hospitality at Georgia State University (GSU) recently named Kevin Gaffney, group show director, Medtrade, as one of its 40 outstanding alumni. more »

Medtrade Launches HME Job Market with Help from HealthJobs Nationwide
LAS VEGAS - With HealthJobs Nationwide now helping with Medtrade's HME Job Market, Tim Rush is ready to throw his company’s considerable resources into the DME world. more »

Medtrade Spring: Just 252 Fewer People Attended this Year’s Medtrade Spring
“The middle day of Medtrade Spring, Wednesday, actually saw 5% more people than the middle day in 2012,” says Kevin Gaffney, group show director, Medtrade. more »

A Competitive Bid Contract Cannot Be Subdivided
- Jeffrey S. Baird, JD
AMARILLO, TX - In round two, I am seeing the same abuses that I witnessed in round one. more »

Medtrade Spring: The Antidote for Round Two
LAS VEGAS - “The temptation is to hunker down, but now is actually the time to come out to Las Vegas and pick the brains of our experts," says Kevin Gaffney, group show director, Medtrade. more »

M&A in the Wake of Round Two Contracts
- Todd A. Moody, JD
AMARILLO, TX - Many suppliers are already beginning to ask questions about if, and how, contracted entities can be bought and sold. more »

Round Two: Industry Stunned
- Greg Thompson
WASHINGTON, DC – Shock, despair, and anger reverberated around the HME industry with the release of single payment amounts for round two of competitive bidding. more »

Survey: Medicare Beneficiaries Oppose Mandatory Mail-Order Drug Plans
ALEXANDRIA, VA - Nearly two-thirds of seniors (63%) indicated they were fearful of losing access to the pharmacy of their choice if they were required to use mail order. more »

HME Orientation 101: Webinar Starts Wednesday
LAS VEGAS - Webinars Start January 30, with final installments at Medtrade Spring in March. more »

Global HME Market on the Rise
NEW YORK - World demand for home medical equipment will rise 7% annually through 2016. more »

Competitive Bidding “Ignores Mathematical Principles”
COLLEGE PARK, Md - It’s hard to argue with math, but an article in the January issue of Science News essentially contends that CMS is doing just that with its competitive bidding program. more »

DME Fugitive Collared in Toronto
WASHINGTON, DC - OIG officials rung in the new year with the capture of “most wanted” fugitive Leonard Nwafor. more »

A Brain Pacemaker for Alzheimer’s Disease?
BALTIMORE - A NIH article authored by Francis Collins, MD, describes a so-called “brain pacemaker” that could someday be used to counter Alzheimer's Disease. more »

Medtrade Spring 2012: Early Registration Opens Next Week
LAS VEGAS – Education, new products, and fun in the one-and-only Medtrade Spring Las Vegas is not so far away. In fact, providers can register next week to take advantage of early bird rates. more »

“I Am the HME Industry”: Stacey Granat
PLAINVIEW, NY - Like so many in the northeast, Stacey Granat, chief operations officer at Plainview, NY-based C&C Homecare, is enduring various miseries during the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. more »

CMS Touts Tough Fraud Prevention Efforts at Medtrade; Revalidation Continues
- Greg Thompson
ATLANTA - FBI fingerprint background checks are on the CMS agenda. Mark Majestic, CMS deputy director, PEOG, CPI, made the announcement last week at the Medtrade General Session. more »

Medtrade: Call it Critical Mass
ATLANTA - Thousands arrived in Atlanta today for the start of Medtrade. In a year of unprecedented challenges, attendees hope to spark a chain reaction that replaces competitive bidding and highlights new opportunities. more »

Survey: Independent Pharmacies Feeling the Audit Pain
ALEXANDRIA, VA - A recent survey from the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) highlights audit practices that survey respondents believe are harming their ability to provide care to seniors. more »

Asset Acquisition: What New Documentation Must Purchasers Obtain?
- Jeffrey S. Baird, JD
AMARILLO, TX - In communications with our firm, a CMS representative has stated explicitly that new orders are required where one supplier purchases the assets of another. more »

Medtrade Fine Tunes Educational Offerings During Crucial Year for the Industry
ATLANTA - Sessions such as HME Alliance, Lunch & Learn, and a new four-part “HME 101” teleconference webinar series will cater to seasoned execs, industry veterans, and newbies. more »

CMS Announces Timeline for Round 1 Recompete
WASHINGTON, DC - CMS announced the long-awaited bidding timeline for the round one competitive bidding recompete last week. more »

Stark Rural Area Exception: What Does it Mean?
- Jeffrey S. Baird, JD
AMARILLO, TX - Several exceptions exist which permit a physician to make referrals to an entity in which the physician has an ownership or investment interest. more »

HME Executive Alliance, Lunch & Learn, and More
From high level (HME Executive Alliance) to novice (HME 101) to everything in between, Medtrade is packed with educational opportunities. more »

Legal Fight Over Credit Card Fees Continues
ALEXANDRIA, VA - NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey, RPh, MBA, joined the NCPA’s board of directors last week to unanimously reject a proposed settlement of an antitrust lawsuit. more »

Tax Laws Helping to Spur Acquisitions
WAYNE, PA - Experts say increase is likely to continue for a while because the current capital gains tax rates will last for about 6 months longer. more »

Medtrade Registration Starts Strong
ATLANTA - Early bird rates are $25 for an expo pass and $99 for the conference, which includes access to 120 sessions. more »

Another Acquisition for Home Health Depot
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Home Health Depot Inc has acquired Medical Mobility LLC, a medical equipment company in Ft Wayne, Ind. more »

What Happens When an Employee Quits and Goes to a Competitor?
- Jeffrey S. Baird, JD
AMARILLO, TX - Moving from one employer to another is relatively easy in the real world, but it's fraught with pitfalls in the health care arena. more »

Medtrade Registration Opens Tomorrow
ATLANTA - Early bird rates for Medtrade attendees go into effect on Tuesday, June 12. Go to Medtrade.com to register. more »

A Year After the Fury
- Greg Thompson
CORDOVA, AL - A little more than 12 months after a tornado ripped through the 100-year-old building that housed his business, Ken Glover, RPH, is still filling prescriptions from a large trailer. more »

Medtrade Matters in Tough Times
ATLANTA - For some manufacturers, exhibiting at trade shows during tough times can be a difficult decision. For others, the decision is actually easier. more »

Concern Over 2013 Manufacturer Tax Eases
WASHINGTON, DC - Bachenheimer: "The IRS specifically exempted wheelchairs and they left respiratory devices in a grey area." more »

The HITECH Act and Its Effect on HIPAA
- Jeffrey S. Baird, JD
AMARILLO, TX - The HITECH Act creates several notable changes to covered entities and/or their business associates. more »

Utility Breaks for HME Users May Spread
- Greg Thompson
FORT COLLINS, CO - Seventy miles north of Denver, disabled residents who use electrical power for home medical equipment will soon get a financial break. more »

Medtrade Spotlight: Golden Technologies Features Retail Products Made in America
ATLANTA - Medtrade has been a staple of Golden’s marketing strategy since 1985, a commitment they plan to continue when Medtrade heads to Atlanta from October 16-18. more »

HHS Touts Greater Flexibility for Care at Home Under ACA
WASHINGTON, DC - HHS finalized its Community First Choice rule, a new state plan option under Medicaid designed to encourage home-based care. more »

HME Consolidation Hits Seven-Year High
PITTSBURGH - The first quarter of 2012 yielded 25 HME acquisitions, the largest deal volume since 2005. more »

Anti-Kickback Statute Nabs Texas Provider
McALLEN, TX - The owner of a Texas medical supply and diagnostic testing company pleaded guilty last week to one count of conspiracy to violate the federal anti-kickback statute. more »

Fraud Moving to Mental Health

WASHINGTON, DC - HHS Inspector General Daniel Levinson told the Senate Finance Committee last week that efforts to push fraud out of the DME sector have been successful. more »

Is a New Physician Order Required After an Asset Purchase?
- Jeffrey S. Baird, JD
AMARILLO, TX - To avoid any exposure to risk, prudence would require the acquiring company to obtain new physician orders more »

Agape Clients Hold Out Hope
HACKENSACK, NJ - Regardless of who is to blame, Mike Kernes, general manager of Reliable Medical Inc, hopes CMS will see fit to allow a rebid. more »

VGM Signs Agreement with Sperduti
WATERLOO, Iowa – VGM Education, a division of VGM Group Inc, has signed an exclusive partnership agreement to offer Michael Sperduti’s Seven Step Sales Process. more »

ABC News Spotlights Pharmacy Crime
ALEXANDRIA, VA - The NCPA commended ABC World News for highlighting pharmacy crime in its April segment entitled “Pharmacy Robberies Increase.” more »

Industry Converges this Week at Medtrade Spring
LAS VEGAS — Medtrade is one place where education, commerce, and a fighting spirit can provide the spark of inspiration in challenging times. more »

Bidding Woes Spark Questions
- Greg Thompson
HACKENSACK, NJ - When Mike Kernes logged into DbidS 40 minutes before the close of bidding on March 30, he saw row after row of “incomplete” entries. more »

NACDS, NCPA File Lawsuit
ALEXANDRIA, VA - The NACDS, NCPA, and nine retail pharmacy companies filed a lawsuit last week to prevent the proposed merger of pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) companies Express Scripts Inc and Medco Health Solutions Inc. more »

Supreme Court Decision Will Affect HME
- Greg Thompson
WASHINGTON, DC - The fate of the Obama administration's Affordable Care Act carries considerable consequences for the home care world. more »

ACA Anniversary Brings Cheers, Jeers
WASHINGTON, DC – The 2-year anniversary (March 23) of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) brought press releases flying from all sides of the political spectrum. more »