General

The Essentially Women Town Hall meeting on August 25th featured a panel of 3 EW members who talked about their experiences during the pandemic with Nikki Jensen. Check out the full panel discussion video at the bottom of the blog. Here are some highlights from the discussion. Tink Newcomb, MBA, CECMS, CCT Prairie Medical Meridian, ID Q: Were you open during the pandemic? And if so, were you appointment only? A: Because of pneumatic compression, we were considered essential. We were closed

When hard times come, it’s not always easy to think on the bright side. For Brooke Strachan, finding the positives in any situation is her philosophy, and this state of mind is what led to her owning her own business. “I try to make a positive come out of a negative situation,” stated Brooke, owner of The Boob Shop. “Sometimes bad things have to happen in order for good things to happen.” A single mom, Brooke received her degree in medical billing, coding, and

From the CDC: Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility Please refer to the manufacturer for their recommendations for sanitization.   Best Option: Launder  According to the CDC, soft surfaces should be laundered, if possible, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Use the warmest appropriate water settings and dry items completely.   Second Best Option: Disinfect  If you cannot launder the item, disinfect with an EPA-registered

Many EW members who have billed Medicare in 2019 have received a check for the relief payment, but within that check states that they are required to sign an attestation form and agree to terms and conditions. Many are confused about particular items in these terms and conditions, including the statement that they must be involved in providing care for COVID-19 patients and use the funds to provide care or respond to COVID-19.  Craig Douglas, VP of Payer and Member Relations for VGM & Associates,

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

Even though the Medicare enrollment period ended last month, there are potential issues that suppliers and beneficiaries may face if they switched from Original Medicare (FFS) to a Medicare Advantage plan. When it comes to selecting a plan, customers may not have had all the information they needed to know regarding the exact benefits and coverage that are included with certain plans. It is possible that customers could have lost access to certain coverage that they had with Original Medicare, including

"HME is an industry that is not for everyone and certainly not for those who rely on the status quo. It challenges providers and creates opportunity. How you seize the opportunity will determine whether your success in the business is easy or hard to achieve." In a recent article from HomeCare Magazine, Miriam Lieber addresses how the home medical equipment industry can be navigated with insight regarding:  Industry challenges  Third party payers and marketing strategy  Automation

A new website has been launched that provides up to date information on risk factors for breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia and is the most common cancer in women in the United States. However, in Australia, at least 1 in 4 of the cases are preventable.  Family history or age cannot change, but the consumption of alcohol, exercise, and obesity are examples of risk factors that can potentially be changed. Even though the risk factor website was