To Enrich Lives

Jan 13, 2012 – 4:17 pm

HME spending hit $7.5 billion in 2010, which represents no growth compared to the previous year, according to an analysis of CMS data by the American Association for Homecare.

Additionally, total Medicare spending was $524.6 billion in 2010, according to National Health Expenditure data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. That means durable medical equipment spending constitutes 1.4 percent of total Medicare spending. In 2010, total Medicare spending increased by 5 percent.

“This data underscores a reality that all policymakers should be aware of: HME spending is not the problem in Medicare’” AAHomecare said in a release. “Spending growth for HME was flat in the face of increasing demand for home medical equipment and services.”

AAHomecare produced a chart that shows how spending on durable medical equipment compares to total Medicare spending and other healthcare sectors.

The CMS report found that total healthcare spending of all types in the U.S. grew by 3.0 percent in 2010, to $2.6 trillion. This breaks down to $8,402 per person and 17.9 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product. Enrollment in Medicare increased by about 2 percent between 2009 and 2010, rising from 46.1 million to 47 million, according earlier data from CMS.

 The American Association of Respiratory Care’s Virtual lobby week will begin at noon on Monday, February 27, 2012. 

Here is the information from the AARC:

1. You are asked to notify your 435 plan members as well as respiratory therapists (members and non-members) that we want them to go to http://www.aarc.org/advocacy/lobby_week/ or www.aarc.org and follow the links to go to the AARC Capitol Connection.   We are asking that therapists contact their Congressional Representatives and Senators either by sending a letter through Capitol Connection or calling the office following the instructions on the above link.
   1. Read more

The Marcia Bevard-Kulick Scholarship is awarded each year to curent and incoming full-time students at the University of Minnesota Duluth. APplications my come from any eligible person who has a documented physical disability (mobility or coordination impairments or legal blindness) on file with the UMD Office of Disability Resources. Students can benefit from the unique characteristics of UMD’s main campus – buildings are interconnected and barrier free with easy access to classes and social environments.

Application consideration will begin April 6, 2012 for the 2012-13 academic year. Apply online at:
http://www.d.umn.edu/access/scholarships/#apply

For more information contact:
Penny Cragun, Director, UMD Office of Disability Resources at the University of Minnesota Duluth
218-726-8727 / pcragun@d.umn.edu

There is an online petition through The Med Group to stop competitive bidding. The petition is gaining signatures and will help with their message to both House and Senate members that competitive bidding needs to be changed. Please take the time and click on the link below to sign onto the petition. 

http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-competitive-bidding