On Sept. 22, Jim Stephenson presented a Mobility Management Webinar called Smart Billing: Power Mobility Device Options & Accessories. Afterward, Jim fielded live questions from Webinar attendees on topics ranging from HCPCS codes to repairs. Register to hear the on-demand archive of the full Webinar and watch for future MM Webinars on a range of seating &…
Whac-A-Mole, Anyone? Medicare & Medicaid Challenges
Do you ever feel like as soon as you get one reimbursement issue under control, two more pop up? With Medicare you have audits around every corner, the elimination of the least costly alternative policy, competitive bidding looming over the heads of most major metropolitan areas, and capped rental for low-end power wheelchairs, to name…
Providers Confront the End of the 1st-Month Purchase Option
On Jan. 1, Medicare’s first-month purchase option for standard power wheelchairs was eliminated, and those chairs became capped rental items. The new policy has been the mobility industry’s hottest topic this year, according to funding expert Jim Stephenson. As the first weeks of the new year drew to a close, Mobility Management asked how providers…
How to Decipher the Elimination of the First-Month Power Chair Purchase Option
On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a bill that makes sweeping changes to the nation’s healthcare system. One of those changes is the elimination of the first-month purchase option for standard power wheelchairs, which will have a dramatic effect on medical equipment suppliers. Crunching the…
Is There Any Hope for Seat Elevation Funding?
In our July issue, we discussed funding strategies for different types of rehab technology. For that issue, Invacare Corp.’s Jim Stephenson gave advice on ultralightweight K0005 manual chairs…but we also asked him for an update on funding for seat elevation. Here are his comments on what may be the ultimate funding challenge in rehab. Does…
Winning Strategies for Tough Funding Scenarios
Making a Case for Ultralight Chairs, Standing Chairs, Non-Coded Technology & Power Mobility for the Very Young When it comes to getting funded, not all rehab technology is created equal. Sometimes, coverage criteria are stacked against a certain category of product. Some products inherently cost more to manufacture. Some technology may be new and unfamiliar…