News

CMS Publishes Proposed Rule, Seeks Comments on Surety Bonds for DMEPOS Suppliers: September 1, 2007; The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is inviting comments on its proposed rule that would require DMEPOS suppliers to provide surety bonds to CMS.

Help for Older Drivers: September 1, 2007; Getting older can lead to physical challenges that include decreased range of motion, difficulty entering and exiting vehicles, and decreased manual dexterity. But such challenges don’t automatically mean seniors have to give up driving.

MagicWheels Wins BusinessWeek IDEA Award: September 1, 2007; MagicWheels, a two-gear manual wheelchair wheel, has won a silver medal in the IDEA competition, a program co-sponsored by BusinessWeek and the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA).

Ride-Away Teams with “NASCAR Angels” to Give Van to Devoted Fan: September 1, 2007; In a certain classic James Stewart film, every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings. But the rules may be different in the automotive mobility business — perhaps angels earn wings by turning wrenches or rebuilding motors?

TriCenturion Publishes Power Wheelchair FAQs: September 1, 2007; Physical therapy assistants (PTAs) and occupational therapy assistants (OTAs) who have earned their Assistive Technology Practitioner (ATP) credentials are NOT qualified to perform the rehab seating & mobility evaluations that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will require starting April 1, 2008 — this according to a new FAQ document posted to the TriCenturion Web site.

California Dreamin’: Abilities Expo Comes to Long Beach: August 1, 2007; After spending the last few years in the tourist mecca of Anaheim, the Abilities Expo moved its 2007 Southern California event to the port city of Long Beach, where people with disabilities, their families, caregivers, educators, clinicians and DME manufacturers gathered for three days of camaraderie, learning and networking.

Cannizzaro Is New Sunrise CEO: August 1, 2007; Sunrise Medical, newly split into two separate operations, has named Michael N. Cannizzaro its new vice chairman, president and chief executive officer.

MED Group Hosts Service Management Seminar: August 1, 2007; As competitive bidding, accreditation costs and other funding challenges put the squeeze on DME suppliers’ profits, smart management of all aspects of the business, including the service department, is becoming more and more critical.

NMEDA Offers Consumer Buying Guide: August 1, 2007; If you’re a mobility dealer, you already know the drill: An excited customer arrives at your door, announces that he/she has just purchased a new van, minivan or SUV from the car dealer down the street, and now wants you to install a wheelchair or scooter lift or ramp. How often have you then had to break the news that a particular make or model cannot be adapted to the customer’s needs?

NSM, USM Trade Branch Offices: August 1, 2007; Two of the industry’s biggest names in rehab — National Seating & Mobility (NSM) and United Seating & Mobility (USM) — have “traded” a total of four branch offices in a realignment meant to strengthen both businesses in regions that have been their traditional strongholds.

Roll-A-Ramp Is on the Move: August 1, 2007; Time to update your database: The folks at Roll-A-Ramp have a new address.

SCI Conference Opens Doors to Consumers: August 1, 2007; The 2007 North American Spinal Cord Injury Conference & Disability Expo (NASCICDE), a long-time professional event, is inviting consumers in for the first time when it opens its doors in Orlando later this month.

What’s New with Medicare & Medicaid: August 1, 2007; Last month, the big news was the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) decision to give DME suppliers in the initial competitive bidding areas one more week to submit their bids (as of press time, CMS said the new July 20 deadline was firm, despite acknowledging that significant numbers of suppliers were having difficulty working with CMS’ computer system). But in other Medicare/Medicaid happenings…

Does Competitive Bidding Target the Poor?: June 1, 2007; Is competitive bidding specifically targeting ethnic minorities and the poor? That’s a question being raised by the VGM Group.