Category Archives: MarketMechanics
March 2019
CMS Includes 7 OTS Knee Orthoses in 2021 Competitive Bidding Program
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program for dates of service beginning January 1, 2021, will include 7 off-the-shelf (OTS) knee orthoses. Continue reading
March 2019
SIGVARIS Is now SIGVARIS GROUP
SIGVARIS, Peachtree, Georgia, has changed its corporate name and logo from SIGVARIS to SIGVARIS GROUP. SIGVARIS, a 155-year-old Swiss company, manufactures medical compression socks and hosiery with a wide assortment of inelastic wraps and lymphedema garments. Continue reading
March 2019
Wound Healing Clinical & Translational Research Team Receives Grant to Join Diabetic Foot Consortium
The clinical and translational research team at the University of Miami (UM) Miller School of Medicine’s Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery received a 4-year, $1.7 million grant to become 1 of 6 Clinical Research Units (CRU) in the US to help improve outcomes for patients with diabetic foot ulcers. Continue reading
March 2019
CMS Launches “What’s Covered” App to Guide Beneficiaries
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched a new app that gives consumers direct access on a mobile device to some of the most-used content on Medicare.gov. The new “What’s Covered” app lets people with Original Medicare, caregivers, and others quickly see whether Medicare covers a specific medical item or service. Continue reading
March 2019
UniSA Creates Recipe for Realistic Foot Ulcers
Podiatrists at the University of South Australia (UniSA), Adelaide, have blended icing sugar, chicken stock, and flexible resin to create realistic-looking foot ulcers as part of a world-first podiatric training initiative. Helen Banwell, DPM, and Ryan Causby, DPM, concocted the mixture, which is being added to 3D-printed feet and is designed to mimic infected and non-infected diabetic foot wounds. Continue reading
February 2019
Bauerfeind, NBA Enter Global Licensing Partnership
Bauerfeind, a provider of sports and medical knee supports, and the National Basketball Association (NBA) have entered into a new, multiyear, global licensing partnership, making Bauerfeind’s GenuTrain NBA an officially-licensed knee support of the league. The knee support became available at sports retail locations and through the company’s website in December. Continue reading
February 2019
Algeos Named Exclusive Distributor for Voxelcare in the UK, Ireland
Algeos, Liverpool, England, a distributor in the orthopedic, orthotic, and prosthetic markets, has been named the exclusive distributor for software and engineering company Voxelcare, Elche, Spain. Voxelcare has 18 years of experience developing industrial applications ranging from special purpose CAD/CAM systems for shoe lasts and custom orthotics, contact and non-contact 3D- and 2D- scanning devices, industrial vision, and CNC systems. Continue reading
February 2019
PDAC Contract Transitioned to Palmetto GBA
The Pricing, Data Analysis, and Coding (PDAC) contract transitioned from Noridian Healthcare Solutions to Palmetto GBA, effective January 15. All transition-related communications are being provided by Palmetto GBA via its website, palmettogba.com/PDAC. The website URL, dmepdac.com, will remain unchanged. While the website design has changed, the same types of information available have remained on this website. Continue reading
February 2019
FDA Approves Knee Implant IDE, Clears Bio-Integrative Bone Fixation Implant
The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) application for Swedish-based Episurf Medical’s Episealer personalized knee implant and has granted 510(k) (premarket submission) clearance to Israeli-based OSSIO Ltd.’s bio-integrative material indicated “for maintenance of alignment and fixation of… Continue reading
February 2019
Cybersecurity Takes Top Spot on ECRI’s Annual Health Technology Hazards List
ECRI Institute (formerly the Emergency Care Research Institute) has published the “2019 Top 10 Health Technology Hazards” report as a free service to inform healthcare facilities about generic hazards that may arise from the use of medical devices and systems — all of which can be minimized or avoided. Continue reading
February 2019
Alliance PT Sells LTC Division
Alliance Physical Therapy Management (Alliance PT) , which is backed by GPB Capital, sold its long-term care (LTC) division to HealthPRO® Heritage, a portfolio company of the private equity firm Beecken Petty O’Keefe. The terms of the sale were not disclosed. Continue reading
February 2019
Reinforcement Learning Expedites Tuning of Robotic Prostheses
When an individual is fitted with a robotic prosthetic knee, a practitioner works with that person to modify parameters to specifically accommodate their gait, a process that can take hours. Now, a multidisciplinary team of researchers from Arizona State University (ASU), Tempe; North Carolina State University (NC State), Raleigh; and the University of North Carolina at… Continue reading
February 2019
2019 DMEPOS Fee Schedule Available
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has made available the 2019 fee schedule for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS). The fee schedule is effective for dates of service beginning January 1. A 2.3% increase has been applied to DMEPOS items that are not part of the Competitive Bidding Program. Continue reading
January 2019
UA Researchers Study How to Regrow Long Bone Segments Using 3D Printing
John A. Szivek, PhD, a scientist at the University of Arizona (UA) College of Medicine – Tucson, has received a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to launch a study to determine how to heal bone fractures using a combination of 3D printing and adult stem cells. Continue reading
January 2019
CMS Improperly Paid DMEPOS Suppliers
A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG) review found that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) improperly paid $34 million to suppliers for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) that were provided to beneficiaries during inpatient stays. Continue reading
January 2019
American Joint Replacement Registry Releases 2018 Annual Report
The American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR), the cornerstone of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ (AAOS) Registry Program, released its 2018 Annual Report on hip and knee arthroplasty patient outcomes. The report includes findings from 1,186,955 cumulative procedures performed between 2012 and 2017, and it provides updates on key initiatives delivered to registry stakeholders… Continue reading
January 2019
AOFAS Campaign Helps Consumers Make Informed Choices for Foot and Ankle Health
The American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) has launched a campaign, Look for the “O,” to encourage consumers to take charge of their foot and ankle health and choose a foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeon when medical care is needed. AOFAS has an interactive channel on its website that offers informational videos and resources to help consumers make informed choices. Continue reading
January 2019
ACSM Survey: Wearable Tech is New Top Fitness Trend for 2019
Wearable technology is forecast as this year’s most popular trend in fitness, according to more than 2,000 health and fitness pros surveyed by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Continue reading
January 2019
Weil Inducted into National Fitness Hall of Fame
Robert Weil, DPM, is a National Fitness Hall of Fame (NFHOF) class of 2019 inductee; he joins four other inductees. Weil specializes in orthotics and sports medicine. He has written a column for the Naperville Sun and Aurora Beacon since 2007 as “The Sports Doctor,” and hosts a weekly radio show by… Continue reading
January 2019
NUPOC Appoints New Director
Chad Duncan, PhD, CRC, CPO, has been appointed director of the Northwestern University Prosthetics-Orthotics Center (NUPOC), Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Duncan, an associate professor and clinical educator at NUPOC, assumed this position January 1, succeeding John W. Michael, MEd, CPO, the director since 2009. Michael will continue as an educator and will support and facilitate the transition. Continue reading
January 2019
eWellness’ CEO Sells PT Clinics to Focus on Telehealth Platform
eWellness Healthcare Corporation, Culver City, CA, which developed the PHZIO physical therapy (PT) telehealth platform, recently announced that CEO Darwin Fogt has sold all Evolution Physical Therapy clinics to solely focus on the expansion and success of eWellness. Evolution PT has six locations in California and two in Connecticut. The PHZIO platform allows physical therapists to monitor up to six patients concurrently. Continue reading
November 2018
New Shoe Insole Could Provide Healing On-the-Go
Purdue University researchers have developed a shoe insole that could help make the healing process more portable for people who have diabetes-related foot ulcers. The researchers used lasers to shape silicone-based rubber into insoles and then create reservoirs that gradually release oxygen throughout the day. Continue reading
November 2018
Curbell Plastics Named Exclusive Supplier of ProComp Sheet
Curbell Plastics, Orchard Park, NY, has been named the exclusive supplier of ProComp sheet across the U.S. ProComp is an innovative polypropylene material reinforced with carbon fibers for a 25% increase in stiffness. The individual fibers provide the ability of the composite to flow and stretch during melt temperature vacuum forming. Curbell Plastics was selected due to its orthotic and prosthetic expertise within the Curbell O&P specialty group. Continue reading
November 2018
CMS Releases 2019 HCPCS Code Changes
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the new Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes, effective for claims with a date of service on or after January 1, 2019. The following code changes are relevant to lower extremity care providers… Continue reading
November 2018
ABC Updates Therapeutic Shoe Fitter Exam
The American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics (ABC) has established a minimum score to pass the therapeutic shoe fitter certification exam. Certified therapeutic shoe fitters participated in an ABC standard setting meeting to set this new criteria. A new form of the CFts exam was also approved earlier this year; it will be administered for the first time in February 2019. Continue reading
