ADVERTISEMENT
| View this email as a Web page | Please add HC_HomeCare Monday_ to your Safe Sender list. |
|
|
|
| A Penton Media Property | |
| August 25, 2008 | Volume 14, Number 38 |
|
ADVERTISEMENT
|
|
|
ADVERTISEMENT Computers Unlimited provides fully integrated software solutions for HME, closed pharmacy and home infusion markets. TIMS software offers comprehensive claims processing, reimbursement management, denial tracking, rental equipment billing and tracking, bar code inventory control, mobile delivery, business intelligence tools, in-depth customer inquiry and document imaging for electronic patient records. Email us for more information at sales@cu.net www.cu.net  Table of Contents - Beyond Competitive Bidding: Providers Face Troubling Issues at Home, Too - AAHomecare Asks for Answers on Oxygen Cap - DME MACs Put a Hold on PAP LCDs - Meuser Leaves Pride - CMS Sets Call on Accreditation Exemptions, Answers Question on Hospice Rule - NCB ‘Round 1.2’ in the Works; New Jurisdiction D Medical Director - On the HME Calendar For more industry news, features and highlights from our latest issue, please visit our Web site at www.homecaremag.com. Headline News Beyond Competitive Bidding: Providers Face Troubling Issues at Home, Too ATLANTA--While most home medical equipment providers have been consumed this year with such national issues as competitive bidding and accreditation, there have been plenty of problems percolating at the state level. A HomeCare Monday poll of state associations shows providers grappling with everything from budget cuts and slow-as-molasses payments to sales tax on HME. Here is a roundup of issues from responding associations around the country: Arizona--Arizona providers' frustration levels have risen over the reluctance of the Arizona Healthcare Cost Containment System, Arizona's Medicaid, to allow managed care plans to contract with more durable medical equipment providers, according to the Arizona Medical Equipment Suppliers Association. “We are constantly hearing about customers that are waiting three to six months for new or serviced equipment, but yet the plans are reluctant to sign contracts with any more DME vendors,” said Mark Farmer of Southwest Mobility in Mesa, Ariz., and association president. “They say that their needs are currently taken care of. Yet the customers are the ones suffering from lack of service. “We feel and many in the state association feel that the AHCCCS program needs to better serve their beneficiaries by allowing more providers to participate in their programs,” Farmer added. California--With no state budget for the fiscal year that started July 1, a 10 percent cut in Medi-Cal reimbursement and a host of other issues involving the state Medicaid program, California HME providers are feeling pretty beleaguered these days, according to Bob Achermann, executive director of the California Association of Medical Product Suppliers. Last week, California's legislature was still at an impasse over the budget, and the fund that feeds Medicaid was drying up. The state is already in trouble with a $17 billion budget shortfall; legislators earlier decreed a 10 percent-across-the-board cut that took effect July 1. So providers are waiting for their Medi-Cal money, and less of it. The only bright spot showed up last week when a U.S. District Court judge in Los Angeles ruled against implementation of the 10 percent Medi-Cal cut, saying it would compromise the quality of medical care. “We don't know if it will be retroactive … but it is very helpful,” said Achermann. He said he is confident the cut will eventually be eliminated. However, that may not happen before damage is done to both providers and beneficiaries. “Whatever happens, I think the state's fiscal budget is going to be pretty gloomy for awhile,” he said. Just at press deadline, Gov. Arnold Schwarznegger's office announced that he planned to appeal the ruling. Colorado--The Colorado Association of Medical Equipment Services is largely concentrating on national issues, according to Jody R. Wright, president, Rocky Mountain Medical Equipment, Sheridan, Colo., and chairman of the Colorado Medicaid DME Advisory board. Wright said those issues are: “What to do about the 9.5 percent cut coming in January; what is CMS going to do about oxygen in January; and, of course, competitive bidding.” Florida--Heather Allan, executive director of the Florida Association of Medical Equipment Services, said the Agency for Healthcare Administration, which is the parent agency for the Florida Medicaid program, issued a proposed rule last week allowing Medicaid to do a single-source provider competitive bid for unspecified equipment. At this time, Allan said FAMES is unable to determine what equipment Medicaid is targeting with the rule, but “we are keeping an eye on it.” Georgia--Speaking for the Georgia Association of Medical Equipment Services, provider Scott Lloyd of Extrakare in Norcross, Ga., said the industry celebrated a victory earlier this year when the state legislature voted to exempt all prescription DMEPOS from sales tax. While equipment that was paid for with federal funds was already exempt, now all items of DME as defined in the Social Security Act are exempt even for payments made by a third party, such as private insurance plans. ”The advantage to beneficiaries is that they will not be personally responsible for sales tax on items reimbursed by private insurance,” Lloyd said. There was another victory when Georgia Medicaid, which had established a mandatory accreditation deadline prior to Medicare's mandatory accreditation deadline of Sept. 30, 2009, was postponed to coincide with the Medicare deadline. But GAMES has other issues. Lloyd said the state's recent decision to replace Blue Cross/Blue Shield with Cigna as the insurance for Georgia's State Employee Health Benefit Plans is causing a stir. According to Lloyd, Cigna has an exclusive with Apria Healthcare. ”It's going to reduce the patient's choice for retirees' medical equipment if they're on the Cigna plan,” he said. Idaho--While the Big Sky Association of Medical Equipment Suppliers, which covers both Idaho and Montana, has been putting most of its muscle into deflecting such national mandates as the oxygen cap set to take effect Jan. 1, it has also managed to ward off a significant threat in Idaho. There, the state Medicaid agency sought to implement a system that would require beneficiaries to go to a single provider for a variety of HME. “We got that shot down--and without much difficulty, honestly,” said Bob Sherman, president of the association and a respiratory therapist at Valley Medical Supply in Stevensville, Mont. Still, he said, the association is wary of what the future might hold. “Our Medicaid is pretty much going to follow Medicare,” he said. Illinois--If providers don't have deep pockets in Illinois, they are likely to be in big trouble, according to Tom Renk, executive director of the Illinois Association of Medical Equipment Services. That's because Medicaid is stalling when it comes to reimbursement. “[Providers] don't get reimbursed on a timely basis,” said Renk. He noted that despite the fact that Illinois has a “Prompt Payment Act,” it still takes about two months before claims are even submitted to the controller. It is then another wait before they are paid. “They have to wait six months, nine months, a year,” Renk said about providers. “The difficulty for our members is they are small businesses providing immediate care to elderly and homebound patients and they have to front the equipment. They have payrolls to meet, people to pay, and they have to dig into their own pockets until that check comes.” It is often a long wait. Renk recalled getting a phone call from a member who announced, “It's Christmas in July, Tom.” He had received a $1.5 million check from Medicaid--but it had taken a year. Meanwhile, he had used his own funds and gotten loans to keep his business afloat, Renk said. That may not work in the future. Renk said that lately, banks have tightened up and do not want to loan money. “It's a vicious, vicious cycle that's not going to go away until the government sees fit to reimburse on a regular, fair and timely basis,” Renk said. Meanwhile, he can only watch as some providers close down or sell out. “If they don't have deep pockets, they can't sustain themselves and, ultimately, they might go out of business,” he said. Indiana--In Indiana, the state's Family and Social Services Administration has awarded a Request for Proposal to three companies for incontinence, ostomy and urological products through Medicaid. Executive Director Judy Bunn said the Association of Indiana Home Medical Equipment Services is “tracking those complaints and issues” related to the RFP, which the association has been protesting since its inception in April 2007. Bunn said AIHMES has received at least 50 complaints. She noted only one of the three providers selected to participate in the program is from Indiana. The others are from Michigan. Among the many complaints on the state's Medicaid competitive bid program, AIHMES said “unsatisfactory products and services” ranks high on the list. Another big problem, according to Bunn, is that “complaints [about products and services] are monitored and handled by the contract award winners and not by the state.“ While the program for incontinence products is already in place, AIHMES said it is pushing for legislation to prevent expansion of the program. Iowa--Even a prescription isn't enough to keep the state of Iowa from levying a tax on hospital beds and some other HME items, according to the Midwest Association for Medical Equipment Services, which includes Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. Iowa providers have been attempting to get that provision overturned, but without effect, stakeholders said. Kentucky--The Kentucky Medical Equipment Supplies Association has been pushing for legislation to exempt prescription DMEPOS from sales tax, said Executive Director Judy Bunn, but no such legislation was adopted over the most recent session. Bunn said the state has been “pushing audits” to “get tax recoupment.” Mississippi--Mississippi providers are also fighting a state sales tax issue. According to the Mississippi Association of Medical Equipment Suppliers, providers, unable to pass along the sales tax to Medicare and Medicaid, are being forced to cover the state's 7 percent sales tax on DMEPOS. The issue is causing “quite a stink,” according to the association. Missouri--The Midwest Associaiton (MAMES) also reported that Missouri providers are contending with health maintenance organizations that do not always go along with Medicare guidelines, thus creating frustrating situations for both providers and beneficiaries. One rehab company submitted a prior approval request for a power mobility device to an HMO for a cancer patient who wanted to purchase the equipment. The HMO denied the purchase request, even though Medicare guidelines say providers must offer rent and purchase options and it is the patient's choice which to do. “I was caught in the middle as I asked Secure Horizons if I was audited who would audit, and they said CMS,” reported Roni Burns, ATS/CRTS, director of Home Support Rehab in Springfield, Mo., and a member of MAMES. “I was stuck. The short story: The patient was fed up with all of conflict and bought a power mobility device on his own.” Nevada--Rather than an adversarial relationship with its Medicaid agency, the Nevada Association of Medical Product Suppliers has managed to build, over time, what amounts to a team, according to Rich Pozesky, executive director. A big boon to that relationship, he said, is the fact that HME providers in Nevada are licensed. The state deals swiftly with problems. So, he said, there are no issues with the state and HME. In fact, Pozesky said, NAMPS worked with Medicaid for a year-and-a-half to revamp its newly published “Coverage and Limitation Guidelines for Mobility Assisted Equipment.” A work group that includes representatives of NAMPS meets with the state Medicaid agency every other month, and the association is swift to report fraud and abuse. It's teamwork, Pozesky said, and it's paying off in terms of fewer issues and a better relationship with the state. New York--The New York Medical Equipment Providers Association said the organization has been meeting with the state's Department of Health recently to “go through some refinements in policies” for prior approvals. According to NYMEP, the DOH is seeking input from state providers about the variables that may hold up the prior approval process. The end goal is to streamline the process. Ohio--The Ohio Association of Medical Equipment Services is battling a “value purchasing” program--essentially a Medicaid competitive bidding program for incontinence supplies--that has been proposed. Two weeks ago, OAMES Executive Director Kam Yuricich testified at a public hearing on the matter before the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services. Yuricich told officials the restrictive nature of value purchasing would create "inefficiencies and breakdowns in the continuity of care and the myriad of health care professionals serving Medicaid customers.” OAMES reported that after the Aug. 12 hearing, the state agency changed the Medicaid incontinence supplies rule to 'To Be Refiled' status. While this is a positive development, it does not mean the program has been removed permanently. South Carolina--Bob Horton, executive director of the South Carolina Medical Equipment Services Association, reported HME stakeholders are holding their breath to see whether an earlier ruling by a state judge on sales tax exemption will be upheld or overturned. In South Carolina, DMEPOS items are subject to the 6 percent state sales tax, which Horton said providers are forced to eat. But there is a legal precedent in providers' favor, he noted, because prescription drugs are not subject to the tax.. In 2007, an anonymous company filed a lawsuit claiming that, if prescription drugs were not subject to the tax, then DMEPOS items including CPAPs and nebulizers should also be exempt. The company argued that the Department of Revenue had gone “beyond the interpretation of the law in determining what was and was not exempt.” The judge agreed, but the case has been appealed and is currently under consideration by the State Supreme Court. Horton said SCMESA hopes the original ruling will be upheld--the court is expected to rule on the case before the end of the year--and also hopes all DMEPOS items will be deemed tax-exempt. Do you agree with the recent LCD that eliminates HME providers from involvement in home sleep testing? To vote in HomeCare's monthly Web poll, visit www.homecaremag.com. AAHomecare Asks for Answers on Oxygen Cap WASHINGTON--Last week, the American Association for Homecare asked CMS to address providers’ concerns about the 36-month oxygen rental cap, which is scheduled to take effect in less than five months on Jan. 1. The cap was imposed by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, which also required that ownership of oxygen equipment transfer to beneficiaries after 36 months of rental. The title transfer was eliminated by the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008--the same law that delays competitive bidding--but the rental cap remains. Under the newest rule, providers will maintain ownership of the equipment for its useful lifetime (five years), but CMS has yet to address how service and maintenance will be paid after the equipment has capped. The association submitted a list of nearly two dozen questions related to the impending cap and revisions under MIPPA, including: --How will CMS develop appropriate payment amounts for episodes of maintenance of oxygen equipment? --CMS currently pays one month’s rental payment for loaner equipment when the beneficiary-owned equipment is repaired. Will CMS apply this policy to oxygen equipment after payment for the equipment has capped? --Currently, suppliers furnish services that the Medicare program does not recognize, such as 24/7 on-call services, emergency services and trouble-shooting by phone. May a supplier establish a service contract with the beneficiary to provide these types of services after the rental payments cap? --How does CMS plan to reimburse for parts and labor after the rental period has ended? --If a beneficiary moves outside the supplier’s service area after the rental payments cap, will CMS initiate a new 36-month rental period for oxygen equipment? The questions were collected through inquiries AAHomecare has received from its members seeking clarification related to oxygen therapy as the 36-month payment cap approaches. The association said it has also requested an in-person meeting with CMS staff to discuss the issues. To view the complete list of questions submitted to CMS, check the AAHomecare Web site at www.aahomecare.org. DME MACs Put a Hold on PAP LCDs ATLANTA--In the latest development on PAP testing and policy, last week the four DME MACs delayed the Sept. 1 implementation date of their recent local coverage determinations on positive airway pressure devices. “In July, the DME MACs published an LCD on PAP devices for obstructive sleep apnea. Some criteria in that policy were to take effect for dates of service on or after Sept. 1. All criteria with a Sept. 1, 2008, implementation date are being delayed,” read an announcement from the MACs. Following CMS' national coverage determination on coverage of sleep therapy--issued March 13--which opened the door for home sleep testing, HME providers were caught off guard when the MACs’ LCD prohibited them from conducting HSTs. And while the LCD offered policy clarification, it also included additional restrictions on coverage criteria that raised questions, notably a 12-week patient compliance requirement. Among other stakeholders, the American Association for Homecare sent an 11-page comment letter to the four MAC jurisdiction medical directors Aug. 14 asking for a delay in implementation of the policy because the LCD “makes extensive and substantive revisions to the existing LCD for PAP devices, including new conditions of coverage,” the association said, adding: “AAHomecare’s concern is that the new PAP LCD was published without a comment period even though it contains significant new and detailed coverage criteria that restrict access to PAP therapy and limit who is eligible to furnish diagnostic test interpretations, which are Medicare-covered services.” Excerpts of AAHomecare’s letter follow: “The new LCDs were published in July 2008 with an implementation date of Sept. 1, 2008, and make extensive and substantive revisions to the existing LCD for CPAP devices. Specifically, the policy adds new conditions of coverage, including medical necessity criteria without identifying the research sources on which the new coverage criteria are based. The LCD also limits the types of physicians eligible to furnish Medicare-covered services and creates unnecessary hurdles to care for Medicare beneficiaries requiring treatment with PAP devices. We are requesting that the four DME MACs substantially revise the LCD to address our concerns and open the new LCD for public comments so that all stakeholders who are affected by the new policy have an opportunity to comment. We also request a delay in the implementation of the policy in all four DME MAC jurisdictions to ensure that physicians and HME suppliers are educated on the new policies and have sufficient time to achieve compliance for the benefit of their patients ... "It also seems as though the rule strategically picks and chooses when a supplier can and cannot provide clinical and diagnostic data. For example, the rule requires the HME supplier to obtain [data] for proof of adherence and therefore payment but is prohibited from participating in the initial diagnostic home sleep test ... Patient services will suffer due to the confusion and contradictions of who is responsible for what regarding the differences between the DME MAC LCDs and the NCD." Items in the LCD originally published with the Sept. 1 effective date that are now subject to the delay include: --The requirements of the face-to-face clinical evaluation by the
referring physician required to include history, Epworth and
physical
exam including BMI;
According to the MAC announcement, “A revised LCD will be published in the near future and will include a new effective date for those criteria.” To read the full text of the AAHomecare comment letter, visit www.aahomecare.org. Meuser Leaves Pride EXETER, Pa.--Pride Mobility Products Corp. said Friday that Dan Meuser, president of Pride USA, is departing the company to pursue a full-time career in public service, ending a 20-year career with Pride. Meuser has been on an extended leave of absence from the firm after losing his bid for the Republican nomination in Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District in the state’s April primary. “I have always had a strong interest in government affairs on the federal, state and local level. My recent venture into politics, combined with my leadership of Pride Mobility’s government affairs initiatives, solidified my desire to pursue community- and government-related endeavors full time,” Meuser said in a press release. “I am grateful to be in a position to pursue my ambitions, and look forward to continuing my active involvement with initiatives that ideally, will benefit the residents in our local communities and beyond.” Meuser joined Pride in 1988 to work alongside his father and brother Scott Meuser, the company's chairman and CEO, and was aggressive in developing Pride’s sales, marketing, customer relationships and government affairs initiatives. During his career, he became a vocal advocate for HME, particularly regarding power mobility issues, and in 2006 was a recipient of HomeCare magazine's HomeCaring Award in recognition of distinguished service to the home medical equipment industry. “During Dan’s 20 years of senior leadership, Pride Mobility grew from approximately $2 million in sales to more than $400 million and became the leader in the global market for mobility products,” Scott Meuser said. “Equally as important is the significant leadership role Dan played with respect to the legislative issues that confront our industry and the beneficiaries in need of mobility products. Dan’s advocacy efforts are enviable and we, along with the entire Pride family of employees, look forward to the positive contributions Dan will undoubtedly make in the community.” Dan Meuser will maintain his shareholder position with Pride Mobility and will continue to hold a seat on the company’s board of directors. CMS Sets Call on Accreditation Exemptions, Answers Question on Hospice Rule BALTIMORE--The “drop dead” date for mandatory DMEPOS accreditation has been set for Sept. 30, 2009, but last week, CMS announced a Special Open Door Forum to address exemptions to the deadline as outlined in a new subparagraph of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, or MIPPA. “This subparagraph states that eligible professionals and other persons are exempt from meeting the Sept. 30, 2009, accreditation deadline until CMS determines that the quality standards are specifically designed to apply to such professionals and other persons,” an agency notice said. “MIPPA also states that CMS may exempt such professionals and persons from the quality standards based on their licensing, accreditation or other mandatory quality requirements that may apply.” The Open Door call will be held Wednesday, Sept. 3, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EDT. To participate, call 800/837-1935 and use Conference ID 61231070. An audio recording of the call will be posted to the Special Open Door Forum Web site at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/OpenDoorForums/05_ODF_SpecialODF.asp and will be accessible for downloading beginning Sept. 10. Questions about accreditation were also a point of issue at CMS’ Aug. 13 Home Health, Hospice & DME Open Door Forum. Specifically, questions were raised about accreditation deadlines for providers who service Medicare hospice. According to the final “Conditions of Payment” for Medicare and Medicaid hospices published June 5 in the Federal Register, providers that service hospices must be accredited in order to keep their contracts. The date the new hospice rules take effect is Dec. 2, 2008. While CMS had no staff available to answer during the call, last week the agency issued the following response: ”If a hospice has a contract with a DME (that has a Medicare supplier number), the hospice should have a letter in their file from the DME stating the DME has applied and is waiting for accreditation by the [Sept. 30, 2009] date. “If the hospice contracts with a DME that only serves hospice, (therefore no Medicare supplier number), the hospice will need to make sure the same type of letter from the DME is in place in their files. The accrediting bodies are aware that these DMEs serving hospice only will be calling for accreditation. ”If the hospice owns its own DME, then no accreditation is needed.” For follow-up questions, CMS asked providers to email Capt. Mary Rossi-Coajou at mary.rossi-coajou@cms.hhs.gov. In Brief NCB ‘Round 1.2’ in the Works; New Jurisdiction D Medical Director According to press reports, Joel Kaiser, CMS’ Deputy director of DMEPOS policy, told members of the Practicing Physicians Advisory Council the agency is busy planning the ramp-up of national competitive bidding--again. The PPAC is a panel of physicians that advises CMS on how changes in Medicare rules and regulations will affect them. At its most recent quarterly meeting in Baltimore Aug. 18, Kaiser told the group the first round of bidding seemed to be fine and that no access problems had been reported by beneficiaries in the 10 areas where the program was in effect from July 1 until it was halted by Congress July 15. He said the next DME bid, apparently tagged “Round 1.2” by CMS staff, was on track to begin in 2009 and be implemented in 2010. Richard W. Whitten, MD, MBA, FACP, is the new medical director for Jurisdiction D DME MAC Noridian Administrative Services effective Aug. 18. Whitten follows Dr. Robert Szczys, who transferred to the position of medical director for the Medicare Pricing, Data Analysis and Coding (PDAC) authority, which replaced the SADMERC effective the same date. According to Noridian, Whitten will be involved with the development and revision of LCDs, coordinating with the three other DME MAC medical directors. He is an internist who has worked at NAS for eight years. Previously, Whitten was medical director of the Washington State Health Care Authority and its Basic Health Plan. He is a member of the CPT Assistant Editorial Panel and a former member and vice chair of the AMA/Specialty Society Relative Value System Update Committee (RUC) and chair of the Healthcare Professions Advisory Committee, both advisory bodies to CMS on provider coding and billing. CMS has changed the effective date for implementation of the revised ABN to March 1, 2009, instead of Sept. 1, 2008. The change of date gives providers an additional six months to become compliant using the “Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage” (the form’s new name). The revised ABN, released March 3, 2008, replaced the general use ABN currently used by DMEPOS suppliers, as well as the lab ABN for physician-ordered lab tests. CMS has posted an update at www.cms.hhs.gov/bni. Have you paid your taxes? If not, then watch out Oct. 1, because the IRS could adjust your Medicare payments. The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 authorizes the IRS to reduce certain federal payments, including payments to Medicare providers, to allow collection of overdue taxes. The IRS may reduce the payments by 15 percent, or the exact amount of tax owed if it is less than 15 percent of the payment. The levy is continuous until the overdue taxes are paid in full or other arrangements are made to satisfy the debt. Effective Oct. 1, 2008, if you owe back taxes, your Medicare payment may be adjusted accordingly and your remittance advice will reflect a provider level adjustment code of “WU”. Click here to download a PDF of MLN Matters article MM6125 for more information. New board members for the National Registry of Rehabilitation Technology Suppliers will take office Aug. 31, including: John Zona, Lakeview Medical, Auburn, Mass., president elect; Mike Osborn, Alliance Rehab and Medical Equipment, Ozark, Mo., secretary; Jim Noland, Presque Isle Rehabilitation Technologies, Erie, Pa., treasurer; Thana France, Browning’s Health Care, Orlando, Fla., review chair, DME MAC A; Elaine Stewart, National Seating and Mobility, Ft. Wayne, Ind., review chair, DME MAC D; Gerry Dickerson, Medstar, College Point, N.Y., director; and Michele Gunn, Browning’s Health Care, Orlando, Fla., director. Earlier this month, the organization moved its offices from Littleton to Trinidad, Colo. NRRTS’ new mailing address is P.O. Box 863, Trinidad, CO 81082, and its phone numbers are 800/976-7787 or 719/846-4229. Fax is 719/846-4462. HHS has announced a proposed regulation that would replace the ICD-9-CM code sets now used to report health care diagnoses and procedures with expanded ICD-10 code sets effective Oct. 1, 2011. Developed almost 30 years ago, ICD-9 is now widely viewed as outdated, HHS said, because of its limited ability to accommodate new procedures and diagnoses. ICD-9 contains only 17,000 codes and is expected to start running out of available codes next year. By contrast, the ICD-10 code sets contain more than 155,000 codes and accommodate a host of new diagnoses and procedures. The additional codes will help to enable the implementation of electronic health records because they will provide more detail in the electronic transactions. Comments on the proposed rule are due by 5 pm ET Oct. 21, 2008. To view the proposal, click here. The MED Group, Lubbock, Texas, has signed a three-year agreement with Adaptive Engineering Lab, Milwaukee, as a preferred supplier. “AEL is excited about this opportunity to support the efforts of The MED Group and its members by providing a full line of seating and positioning products to meet the individual needs of the end-user,” said Jill Patty, AEL vice president, sales, in a release. Coming Up On the HME Calendar The Medical Equipment Suppliers Association (MESA) will host its Fall Conference Sept. 3-5 in Dallas. For more information, call 800/722-2310 or visit www.mesanet.org. Big Sky AMES, the Montana and Idaho Association of Home Medical Equipment Suppliers, will hold its Annual Convention Sept. 10-12 in Butte, Mont. For more information, visit www.bigskyames.org. The Wisconsin Association of Medical Equipment Services (WAMES) has set its Annual Convention, Trade Show and Golf Outing Sept. 10-12 in Lake Geneva, Wis. For more information, call 715/366-7500 or visit www.wames.org. The American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association (AOPA) will hold its National Assembly Sept. 10-13 In Chicago. For more information, call 571/431-0876 or visit www.aopanet.org. The Ohio Council for Home Care will host its Fall Conference and Trade Show in Sandusky, Ohio, Sept. 11-12. For more information, call 614/885-0434 or visit www.homecareohio.org. The Alabama Durable Medical Equipment Association (ADMEA) will hold its Quarterly Meeting Sept. 17 in Hoover, Ala. For more information, cal 205/824-6202 or visit www.admea.net. The Maryland-National Capital Homecare Association (MNCHA) will hold its Annual Meeting Sept. 17-18 in Columbia, Md. For more information, call 202/309-4919 or visit www.mncha.org. The Midwest Association for Medical Equipment Services (MAMES) will host its Fall Conference in Des Moines, Iowa, Oct. 1-3. For more information, call 651/351-5395 or visit www.mames.com. The West Virginia Medical Equipment Suppliers Association will hold its annual Fall Conference in Charleston, W.V., Oct 6. For more information, call 304/285-2700. The National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) will host its 27th Annual Meeting in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Oct. 11-15. For more information, call 202/547-7424 or visit www.nahc.org. The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) will host its Annual Expo in Tampa, Fla., Oct. 11-15. For more information, call 800/544-7447 or visit www.ncpanet.org. From the HomeCare staff, have a cool and relaxing Labor Day. HomeCare Monday will resume publication Sept. 8. ADVERTISEMENT |
|
About this Newsletter You are subscribed to this newsletter as #email# To unsubscribe from this newsletter go to: Unsubscribe To subscribe to this newsletter, go to: Subscribe To visit HomeCare's Web site click here For information on advertising in this newsletter, please contact Kent Peterson, National Sales Manager/Western Region Sales at kpeterson@homecaremag.com, or John McNamara, Regional Sales Manager/Eastern Region Sales at jmcnamara@homecaremag.com. |
|
|
|
To get this newsletter in a different format (Text or HTML),
or to change your e-mail address, please visit your profile
page to change your delivery preferences.
For questions concerning delivery of this newsletter, please contact our
Customer Service Department at: Penton Media | 249 W. 17th Street | New York, NY 10011 Copyright 2008, Penton Media. All rights reserved. This article is protected by United States copyright and other intellectual property laws and may not be reproduced, rewritten, distributed, re-disseminated, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast, directly or indirectly, in any medium without the prior written permission of Penton Media. |
