Durable Medical Equipment (“DME”) suppliers should review the Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) 2009 Work Plan. The DME enforcement agenda, according to the Work Plan, includes:
- DME Payments for Beneficiaries Receiving Home Health Services
- DME Claims With Modifiers
- Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Devices
- Part B Services in Nursing Homes: Enteral Nutrition Therapy
- Medicare Part B Payments for Home Blood-Glucose-Testing Supplies
- Duplicate Payments to DME Suppliers With Multiple NPI #’s
- Appropriateness of Reimbursement for Pressure-Reducing Support Surfaces
- Comparison of Prices for the Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Pump
- Power Wheelchairs
- Repair and Servicing of Capped Rental DME
- Appropriateness of DME Categorization
Recommended Action: DME suppliers should pay particular attention to relevant compliance issues that made it into the OIG Work Plan. Their inclusion signals a heightened risk of scrutinty by the Medicare Program.
