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| May 2, 2006 | Volume 10 Number 9 |
| Breaking News for O&P Professionals | |
Medicare
and Reimbursement News
CMS Issues Competitive Bidding Proposed
Rule
Attention Maryland and D.C. Suppliers:
Region A Transition Update
Region B: News on DME MAC Transition
AOPA
Attends CMS Coding Meeting
O&P
Resources
$ave on Pittsburgh Seminars: Deadline
Quickly Approaching!
Forms, Forms Everywhere
Last Chance to Advertise in the
Only O&P Buyer’s Guide>
O&P
News
AOPA
Calls
for Nominations
Roy Snelson, CPO(E), Former AOPA President, Dies
| Medicare and Reimbursement News | |
On April 24, CMS issued a proposed rule outlining the details of the long-awaited Medicare competitive bidding program. When implemented, this program will set reimbursement rates for certain durable medical equipment items and off-the-shelf (OTS) orthotics based on a bidding process. Items that are competitively bid will only be provided by winning bidders.
Medicare competitive bidding will begin in 10 of the largest areas around the country, and more areas are scheduled to be phased in over time. The bidding process could begin as soon as the fall of 2006, with new reimbursement rates taking effect in October 2007.
The proposed rule also details CMS’ process for implementing new quality standards and the application process providers must complete to become accredited DMEPOS suppliers. Quality standards are expected to be finalized by the middle of this year. Compliance with the new quality standards and accreditation requirements would be a mandatory condition for both participation in and payment under the Medicare competitive bidding program.
One important highlight of the proposal requires that non-OTS devices be provided by certified orthotists (that is an individual certified by either ABC or BOC). AOPA has staunchly advocated that O&P services be provided by qualified providers to ensure quality of care.
AOPA will be publishing a more detailed summary of the proposal shortly and will be providing detailed comments to CMS by the June 30 deadline.
Proposed Rule (562 KB)*
CMS Press Release (65 KB)*
CMS Summary (36 KB)*
Requires Adobe Reader
Questions? Contact Walt Gorski at (571) 431-0809 or wgorski@AOPAnet.org, or Virginia Torsch at (571) 431-0812 or vtorsch@AOPAnet.org.
Attention Maryland and D.C. Suppliers: Region A Transition Update
Maryland and the District of Columbia will be transferred from Region B to Region A as CMS reorganizes the Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Medicare Administrative Contracts (MACs), formerly known as the DMERCs.
If you are an O&P supplier in Maryland or D.C., you now have a choice of where to submit your electronic claims. You can continue to submit them to AdminaStar Federal as you do now, or you can submit them to HealthNow, the current contractor for Region A. After July 1, you will submit your claims to the National Heritage Insurance Company (NHIC), which will be the new contractor for Region A.
Questions? Contact Virginia Torsch at (571) 431-0812 or vtorsch@AOPAnet.org.
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Region B: News on DME MAC Transition
AdminaStar Federal, the contractor for Region B, has added a new feature to its Region B DMERC Interactive Voice Response system (877-299-7900), which provides information for suppliers in states that are being transferred from Region B to other regions. The new option, which can be reached by pressing 5 from the main menu, will provide general transition information for suppliers in Kentucky (going from Region C to Region B); Maryland and the District of Columbia (going from Region B to Region A); Virginia and West Virginia (eventually going from Region B to Region C).
Questions? Contact Virginia Torsch at (571) 431-0812 or vtorsch@AOPAnet.org.
AOPA Attends CMS Coding Meeting
Kathy Dodson, AOPA’s Senior Director of Government Affairs and Joe McTernan, AOPA’s Assistant Director of Reimbursement Services, attended a public meeting held at CMS headquarters in Baltimore, Md., April 26-27, 2006. This meeting allowed interested parties the opportunity to provide public comment regarding applications for new orthotic and prosthetic HCPCS codes for 2007.
Prior to this meeting, the HCPCS panel responsible for the creation of new codes reviewed each application and developed a preliminary decision. The meeting allowed applicants to provide additional information to members of the committee prior to the issuance of their final decision. No decisions were announced at the meeting. The HCPCS panel will issue final decisions later this year.
In the past, the HCPCS panel made annual coding decisions with no input from the public. Federal legislation required that, beginning with the 2006 code year, public meetings be held before the HCPCS panel could issue new codes.
Questions regarding the new code process or AOPA’s participation in this meeting? Contact Joe McTernan at (571) 431-0811 or jmcternan@AOPAnet.org.
| O&P Resources | |
$ave on Pittsburgh Seminars: Deadline Quickly Approaching!
Improve your coding, billing and documentation practices and help eliminate lost revenue. Register now to attend the Coding & Billing Seminar (June 6-7) and the Documentation Seminar (June 8) in Pittsburgh, Pa.! Save $100 on your registration when you attend both.
You must act by May 19 to also take advantage of early registration rates. Pay just $525 to attend the Coding & Billing Seminar ($550 after May 19) and just $295 for the Documentation Seminar if you're attending both. That's $100 off the regular Documentation Seminar rate of $395 (nonmembers, $525). Register today at www.AOPAnet.org.
Questions? Contact Heather Franklin at hfranklin@AOPAnet.org or (571) 431-0876, ext. 205.
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Forms, Forms Everywhere
The O&P Business & Clinical Forms CD-ROM contains over 300 customizable O&P-specific forms that cover billing, patient record keeping, office administration, authorizations, waivers and much more. Why reinvent the wheel? AOPA has done the administrative work for you!
Purchase today. Visit www.AOPAnet.org or call (571) 431-0865.
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Last Chance to Advertise in the Only Buyer's Guide for O&P
There are only three days left to order a display ad for your company in the June O&P Almanac’s O&P Buyer’s Guide! This annual issue is used by more than 14,000 customers and prospective buyers to locate O&P products and services. The deadline to reserve ad space is Friday, May 5. Send all art by May 10.
Plus: Receive bonus distribution with your advertisements in this issue! The O&P Buyer’s Guide will be distributed to attendees at the Amputee Coalition of America (ACA) Annual Educational Conference and Exposition in Minneapolis, June 15-17.
Contact Amy Clontz at aclontz@AOPAnet.org or (888) 557-7277 to order a display ad.
AOPA Calls for Nominations
The AOPA Nominating Committee is seeking O&P leaders to serve on the organization’s board of directors in these positions:
• President-elect;
• Vice president;
• Treasurer;
• Director-at-large;
• Allotted director, 1-3 facilities; and
• Allotted director, supplier.
Nominees should have a strong background in O&P management and, ideally, a history of AOPA committee or volunteer work. Nominations must be received by July 20.
If you are interested in serving or know of a potential nominee, contact Nominating Committee Chairman Michael Hamontree, by July 20: mhamontree@orpro.com or
(949) 863-1951.
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Roy Snelson, CPO(E), Former AOPA President, Dies
Roy Snelson, CPO (E) died April 24 at his home in West Covina, Calif.
An AOPA Lifetime Achievement Award winner in 1999, Snelson was also the president of AOPA from 1970-71. He was a founding member of the Academy and served as president of ABC from 1977-78.
In addition to founding California-based Orthomedics, a patient care and manufacturing company in 1968, he was the chief of orthotics research at Los Amigos, one of the original clinical instructors at UCLA and helped found the O&P program at Cerritos College.
He became a clinical instructor at the University of Washington and Northwestern University in 1973. In 1988 he sold Orthomedics to NovaCare and retired. In his active retirement, Snelson fit thousands of amputees in Third World Countries at no charge to them.
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Insider's Track |
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| The Only Up-to-the-Minute O&P Newsline | |
Businesses In the News
ABC, headquartered in Alexandria, Va., released its 2005 annual report on www.abcop.org in early April…College Park Industries, headquartered in Fraser, Mich., has opened online registration for the O&P Extremity Games at www.extremitygames.com...Endolite, based in Centerville, Ohio, has partnered with oandp.com as the newest OPIE Integrated Supplier. Users of the OPIE and OPIE Lite software tools can browse and purchase Endolite products directly through the software…Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics, headquartered in Bethesda, Md., donated a majority of the Answer 2 Shoes™ that were fitted for approximately 40 homeless men in Pittsburgh, Pa. in March. The event was spearheaded by the nonprofit organization, Our Hearts to Soles, based in Pittsburgh, Pa. SPS, based in Alpharetta, Ga., distributes the footwear…OPAF, headquartered in Langhorne, Pa., announced a new program, First Swim Clinics, which provides amputees and orthosis wearers an opportunity to learn adaptive swim techniques. The first clinic takes place Saturday, June 24 at the Highland Swim Club in Galloway Township, N.J…Ossur is now the exclusive supplier of prosthetic components to the Orthotic & Prosthetic Group of America (OPGA)/POINT Health Centers of America Premier Vendor Program (PVP) membership, effective April 1…The staff at Snell Prosthetic and Orthotic Laboratory, based in Little Rock, Ark., has pledged to provide 9,500 hours of community service during 2006 in honor of the company’s 95th anniversary.
People In the News
Rick Fleetwood, general manager of Snell Prosthetic & Orthotic Laboratory, headquartered in Little Rock, Ark., was honored by the Easter Seals Arkansas board of directors on March 12 for his extensive volunteerism and support for people with disabilities.