Archive - June 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE New Legislation Would Provide Medicare Coverage for Wigs to Cancer Patients Last week Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) introduced a bill which would provide coverage for wigs to Medicare beneficiaries. The bill, H.R. 2925 would allow wigs to be covered as durable medical equipment; opening access for Medicare beneficiaries that a dermatologist, oncologist, or attending physician can certify medical necessity as a part of rehabilitative treatment. Click here to read the full

A new article published by JAMA Oncology compares outcomes for combined mammography and MRI or ultrasonography screenings for new breast cancers in women who have previously undergone breast conservation surgery and radiotherapy for breast cancer initially diagnosed at 50 or younger. Women who are treated with breast conservation surgery and radiotherapy remain at an increased risk for second breast cancers. The multicenter comparison study by Woo Kyung Moon, M.D., of the Seoul National University

Why Treating Breast Cancer With Less May Be More   Reducing the time women with breast cancer have radiation therapy is not only effective but also reduces costs, a study shows.   Women with breast cancer have long faced complicated choices about the best course of treatment. One particular concern has been the daily radiation therapy many women with breast cancer receive for six weeks after surgery. This form of therapy, also known as conventionally fractionated external

VGM Group, Inc. HME Woman of the Year Award We are proud to announce nominations are now open for the 2017 HME Woman of the Year Award. Help us honor one of the many women whose passion and contributions continue to shape the industry.   Shaping Thoughts. Shaping Industry. Women are significantly underrepresented in recognition of accomplishment—in HME and everywhere. -Mike Mallaro CEO, VGM Group, Inc. Last year, Dr. Kirsten Davin was selected from a group of 37

AMARILLO, TX - Assume that John Smith owns 100% of the stock of (i) ABC Pharmacy, Inc. ("ABC Pharmacy") and (ii) ABC Medical Equipment, Inc. ("ABC Equipment"). Assume that XYZ Medical Equipment, Inc. ("XYZ") purchases all of ABC Equipment's stock, resulting in (i) Smith continuing to own ABC Pharmacy and (ii) ABC Equipment becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of XYZ. Now let's make the following additional assumptions: • After closing, ABC Pharmacy will have the right (but not the obligation)

To start, when I say compliance I am speaking directly to being compliant with government laws and regulations when treating patients receiving services from government or private payors. This isn’t licensure or accreditation, but a reimbursement compliance program – where your greatest risk is. I know this is not a topic many folks like to talk about. We hear from clients all the time that, “We hope we never need you, but glad to know you’re there!”  The problem

“These data provide reassurance to breast cancer survivors that having a baby after a breast cancer diagnosis may not increase the chance of their cancer coming back. For many young women around the world who want to grow and expand their families, it’s very comforting news,” said Erica L. Mayer, MD, MPH, ASCO Expert. Findings from a retrospective study of 1,200 women provide reassurance to breast cancer survivors who are contemplating pregnancy. In the study, women who became

CGS and the 60-Day Rule AMARILLO, TX - In prior articles, I discussed Section 6402 of the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) and subsequent regulations that state that if a DME supplier suspects (or reasonably should suspect) that it should not have been paid for certain claims, then it has six months to investigate whether such claims were appropriate and, if inappropriate, to quantify the overpayment. Following the investigation and quantification, the supplier has 60 days within which

There are choices we make every day that affect our health: what we eat (apple or the apple pie), what we drink (lemon water or sweet tea), how much physical activity we get (elevator or stairs). These choices have a short-term, as well as a long-term, impact on our weight, our heart health, our risk for Type-2 diabetes, and our risk for breast cancer, to name a few. Many choices a mom makes during that first year postpartum have a long-term impact on the health of her baby, as well as her own