Archive - January 2020

AnaOno is hosting their 4th annual New York Fashion Week show benefiting METAvivor.org. This year’s show is focused on bridging the gap throughout our community, from early-stage breast cancer patients and survivors to Stage IV breast cancer patients. We experience division in our lives so often these days, but the one separation we cannot afford is the fear that early-stage patients encounter when diagnosed with breast cancer. 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, and

No matter how careful, Medicare claim mistakes will happen. When they do, your claim may not be able to be processed by the DME MAC. However, The van Halem Group is here to help! In a recent article, The van Halem Group provided examples of minor errors and omissions that can occur with claims, and they also remind providers that they can request a reopening for minor errors or omissions either by telephone or in writing. Whether or not they should be requested via phone or in writing is

For more than 20 years, Essentially Women has been committed to providing benefits and services to hundreds of mastectomy and home medical equipment providers, salons and boutiques nationwide. EW strives to foster relationships to help build strong business alliances, to connect you with like-minded professionals and experts, to provide essential business programs and services that help you compete and prosper, and to make sure that you have the time to focus on what you do best - take care of patients

In the highly regulated environment of the DME industry, it is essential that providers comply with federal anti-fraud laws, state anti-fraud laws, supplier standards, accreditation requirements, and guidance from Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurers. Serious consequences can occur for suppliers who violate one or more of the federal anti-fraud laws.  In a recent article from Medtrade, the "Cliff Notes" version of the federal anti-fraud guidance is provided and includes information

On January, 1 2020, CMS made it effective that only one type of order is needed for DMEPOS claims, in an effort to help reduce supplier and provider burden. As such, the preliminary/dispensing order, Detailed Written Order (DWO), Five Element Order (5EO)/Written Order Prior to Delivery (WOPD), Seven Element Order (7EO), and Detailed Product Description (DPD) are no longer needed for DMEPOS and have been replaced by a Standard Written Order (SWO). However, with this publication came many questions

By: Nikki Jensen, Vice President, Essentially Women I’ve known for a while that I wanted to write an article about the importance of advocacy. My intent was to write a nice article on why it’s important to get involved, share the message and how critical it is to get involved. But the reality is—you already know that! What you need is something easy and simple, a turn-key program that has all the resources in one place—because we’re all in the same boat:

HME Business recently shared an article about CBD and how it coincides with Federal and State laws. According to the article, Federal law has only recently caught up with the market, and state laws concerning CBD are inconsistent. If you're a provider that is interested in CBD, it is advised in this article to consult with an attorney with expertise in their state laws.  Click here to read the full article from HME Business. More details about the intersection of hemp products

In today's world, many businesses utilize social media to market themselves and to better communicate with their current and potential customers. However, it is possible to commit a HIPAA violation when using social media according to a recent article from HME News.  It is essential for healthcare providers to ensure that their patient health information is protected and secured, especially when using social media. In this article, a few guidelines are spelled out to prevent

Cure Today recently shared an article about the findings of a phase 3 clinical trial presented during the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS). These findings showed that accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) may be as effective as whole breast irradiation (WBI) in preventing recurrence in patients with low risk early breast cancer. Survival and recurrence rates were similar among patients with breast cancer who either received accelerated partial breast irradiation

According to a recent article in Reuters Health, a new study suggests that patients with breast cancer who use supplements during chemotherapy may be at an increased risk of recurrence and death. Researchers report in the Journal of Oncology that the use of dietary supplements that boost levels of antioxidants, iron, vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids appeared to lower the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Although doctors have advised patients not to take antioxidants during