Blog

Improving Patient Communications

"Patients will behave in the way a Provider has trained them to behave."    In the penultimate workshop of the Improving Patient Collections series with The Allegiance Group, COO & Presenter Anne Orrick made a statement...

Attention direct BCBSM EDI Submitters!

Hey Guys! For those of you that use BCBSM EDI to submit claims to as one of your clearinghouses or EDI Hosts, you may have seen alerts from them that their FTP protocols are changing.  This message is to inform you that WE ARE ON IT!...

Bid break!

Just in case you haven't seen this from your provider portals or listservs, CMS has officially decided to pause the Competitive Bidding round for 2021 in most product categories.  One aspect for the decision driven of course by the...

ABN Updates effective 8/31/2020

Hey HDMS Nation!   The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has officially approved the renewal of Medicare’s Advanced Beneficiary Notice (ABN) form and instructions.  Both the English and Spanish versions of this form have...

Looking for the HDMS User Manual?

The HDMS Manual is now WIKI.   The information is organized with the same structure of the menus in HDMS.   Just select the menu option, then the subcategory to get more information.     You can still...

Head spinning from Medicare Listservs?

Don't worry, Jillian has your back! The NCDs and LCDs for which clinical indications have been suspended now include: Positive Airway Pressure Devices for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (L33718);  (the NCD 240.4 for...

Updates for CareCentrix Providers

All updates below provided by our friends at AAHomecare. To become a part of this amazing organization please click here. Carecentrix-Cigna Core Business – Provider Newsflash-4/22/20 – note: CCX providers no longer need...

Returning to work after COVID-19

While many states are currently lifting portions of their stay-at-home orders, or removing restrictions entirely, it’s important that we are preparing for the return of remote employees to the office setting.  There are several things...

Medicare Minute ep. 7 Audit Suspension

A small bit of good news, TPE & ADR audits have been suspended. As a reminder, check out the details about what your local contractor may be doing here: { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", ...

Medicare Minute ep. 6 Proof of Delivery!

CMS has suspended proof of delivery requirements during the Public Health Emergency. Check out this episode of Medicare Minute for details... { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "mainEntityOfPage": { ...

Remote Employee Health

Many companies have shifted as many of their workers to a remote status to help keep their employees, patients, and partners safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.  And while this is certainly the safest option, it’s important to also be...

Medicare Minute ep. 5 The Non-Medicare Update!

Check out the latest episode of Medicare Minute! We are seeing a wide variety of rules from local Medicaid, Blue Crosses, and Managed Care Plans. Be sure to check in on your large Payers regarding the following information: Are they...

Dreading data conversion?

  We've committed 20 years to making your experience while transitioning to new software as painless as possible.  Our primary goal is to use the existing data from your business to shortcut most of your new...

Free Webinars You Shouldn't Miss!

Here are some of the killer webinars & resources our partners & friends are hosting soon related to the ever-changing COVID-19 Response & Management.  Don't forget, if you register but can't attend live you will get...

HME & Pharmacy Providers are Healthcare Heroes!

We work with the best HME & Pharmacy Providers in the US, and they employ the BEST people. We've received so many emails from YOU checking on our staff, that we can't even begin to tell you how much we appreciate you and the sacrifice...

How HDMS can help during COVID-19 crisis

With the concerns of Covid-19 spreading through the country, the DME and pharmacy industries are some of the fields which are considered essential and will not be able to shut down.  While many providers are limiting their patient contact as...

Yes, all of your Medicare CMN's just expired.

If you haven't noticed, at the top of all of the CMS 484 (commonly referred to as DMERC Style) Certificates of Medical Necessity (CMN's) they are set to expire 2/2020. While we are waiting on CMS to release new forms, national committees...

OIG ouch!

Providers in the HDMS peer community have been sharing with us that TPE & SMRC audits for diabetic testing supplies are rolling in. The second major wave in TPE audits focused on a large look back period, many providers may still be dealing with...

Pushing Diabetic Profitability

I had the pleasure of talking to Holly Wagner this month about how simply providing diabetic testing supplies is no longer the key to cash. Once you have those patients, it's all about shining in service. What does service look like in 2020?...

Can I just show you what's happening?

Have you ever taken your car into a mechanic and tried to describe a noise that your car was making? Hard right? Not the most confident moment you've ever had probably. Conversely, when you head into the shop and say, "The car won't...

Mud Wrestling at Universal Offices!

State-wide mud wrestling competition to be held at Universal today!   Did that get your attention? Well... we aren't actually mud wrestling, but we have no shortage of slop right now! October in Michigan is notoriously rainy and windy...

Working Women Wednesday!

From the keyboard of Lisa Anderson....     Today, I took advantage of an empty desk in the Support room to work closer to my team for the afternoon. As I sat here working quietly I realized that this is the same room I worked in when...

Snap to it!

Have you ever been in a patient fitting and need snap a picture or video to use for justification of a custom stocking, brace, prosthetic, power mobility device, or orthotic? With the modern content management of StowPoint, users can simply...

What do you want to infuse your business with?

  What if you could infuse your business with automation? Ease of use for your employees? More revenue? You can, with HDMS. The Healthcare Data Management System (HDMS) offers a complete post-acute care solution for your unique...

Does your delivery process feel like chaos?

All of our clients have a great delivery plan, and all of our clients would bet money on real life interrupting that plan everyday! In service, there are always exceptions. Check out how information technology can play a much larger role in...

Stop. Printing. Claims.

One of the first big bridges built between vendors & providers in our market was the EDI Gateway. Although the code structure has evolved over the years to exchange even more information and trade more communication files, the EDI Gateway...

Universal Software Announces Building Expansion

DAVISON, Mich., August 13, 2019 (Newswire.com) - Universal Software Solutions, Inc. (Universal), a leading provider of practice management solutions for the home healthcare and pharmacy infusion/specialty markets, officially announced the...

Universal unveils new StowPoint website

Universal Software Solutions Releases New StowPoint Website Press Release - updated: Jul 8, 2019 12:00 EDT DAVISON, Mich., July 8, 2019 (Newswire.com) - ​​Universal Software Solutions, Inc. (Universal), invites providers...

HDMS v3.22 in bloom!

With the world in it's annual change from gray to green, HDMS continues to bloom with the spring release v3.22 Join us Thursday, April 4th @ 3PM EST, 2PM CST, 12PM PST to look with fresh eyes at features like: NEW Unbillable Revenue...

HDMS Outreach Services launches new campaign!

  Compression Stockings refill program The recent addition to our HDMS Outreach Services for the reorder calling campaign of Compression Stockings provides another sharp tool to the home care provider’s toolbox.   This...

Universal's Patient Workspace in HDMS

Davison, Michigan – November 2018 Universal Software Solutions, Inc. (Universal), a long-standing leader in complete operational software made for post-acute Healthcare Providers, unveils their new patient management tool...

Partner Allegiance Group announces HITRUST status!

Congrats to our Partner Allegiance Group, provider of the COLLECTPlus product and exemplary private pay collections management. Thank you for continuing to provide excellent customer care to all of our patients. If you haven't already met Bruce...

Billing CUSTOM P&O to BCBSM?

As of September 1st, all providers billing custom prosthetics & orthotics to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan will be required to submit those claims with a separate CMS accredited PIN. If you are facing this challenge or one like it,...

VendorLink clients: ACTION REQUIRED!

      CHANGES REQUIRED BY AUGUST 24TH, 2018 In order to continually improve VendorLink's reliable service, we have made some infrastructure improvements. In order to have connection to service after August 24th, 2018 please make...

Partner Zirmed’s makeover continues!

Very excited to watch was this merger progresses for our Partner Zirmed with Navicure to form Waystar. Two power houses taking the best of each of their business to create one superpower. Put Waystar into your vocabulary, because it’s...

Relief for Rural America!

The industry has fought back and won again, relief starting for rural care reimbursement rates goes into effect June 1st, 2018. This comes as a victory for citizens across the US in hardworking rural & non-contiguous areas, as their access to...

qUick read: Medicare removing KH mods?

      In a recently published MLN Matters, CMS releases info that they will be no longer requiring the KH modifier on purchased capped rental items & para/enteral services as of October 2018. This is indicated in...

Billing Oxygen to Medicare? Read me!

A joint DME MAC article was shared yesterday, regarding a required modifier change for all Oxygen billing. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: effective for Dates of Service 8/01/18 or after, it is mandatory that you bill oxygen with a KX if you are not using...

Clarification on Medicare O2 Modifiers

Shared by our DAC Region D chair, we see that CGS who is the DME MAC Contractor for Regions B & C offers billing instruction for Providers struggling with the new Medicare Oxygen Modifier topic. Our partners at DACD expect that Noridian will...

Send & Receive eScripts in HDMS!

Today Danielle Crane, our resident specialty pharm expert, took us through the easy to use workflow to send or received electronic prescriptions in HDMS! Availablefor Pharmacy NewRX, RefillRequest, RXChange, CancelRX! View Presentation...

VendorLink Dashboard New to HDMS

For many HME Providers dropship orders are the lifeblood of profitability, providing a low-touch solution to offset the costly burden of paperwork attached to other traditional items. Link products to vendors, set up recurring orders, and kick your...

Reminder: DMERC CMN's available for April 1st

As you may have heard in our HDMS v3.19 Sneak Peek, the DMERC CMN forms have been updated and are headed into effect on April 1, 2018. Just an FYI, if you will be on a lesser version of HDMS on April 1st please contact us to get in...

Using an API with HDMS? TLS update...

If you are using an API to pass information to or from HDMS and you're also a Waystar (formerly Zirmed) Client, you may have received an alert about a TLS migration earlier this month. We have some updates to share with those of you affected by this...

March Webinar Wrap Up!

This month it was my pleasure to present our exciting new appointment tool, HDMS Scheduler. Get all of the transparency across locations you've been looking for without the hassle of shared calendars! If you missed it, click on the pic below to...

February Webinar Wrap Up!

Yesterday we hosted our monthly webinar, this month's focus was how to "Dig Deep into Denials". In case you missed it or want to review the written materials, access them here: Copy of presentation materials: Dig Deep Into Denials Or watch the...

Northwood adopts new policy

In the bulletin Northwood published February 5th, we see that effective February 1st they have adopted the Medicare rental equipment guidelines. They outline the common practice of requiring new Prior Authorization, Face to Face documentation, and...

BC of MI announces capped rental changes

Initially mentioned in December and repeated in January; BCBSM has announced big changes for the way DME claims will process. With the changes indicated as effective March 1st, 2018, below are some highlights and our open list of questions. DME...

qUick reads: The Deductible Game

CMS released their annual update to Beneficiary premium, copay, and deductible rates for 2018. Here’s what we learned: Copay continues to be 20%. 2018 Deductible amount will continue to be $183.00 a year, same as last year. ...

New DMERC CMN forms received!

Just a quick ShoutOut as we wrap up today to Apria & Home Reach for getting the new DMERC CMN forms into Universal Support so that we can get those updated for everyone. We appreciate it! If you had that on your to do list, cross it off and...

HDMS System Readiness for NEW! Medicare MBI numbers

Everything you need to know about the Medicare MBI Change starting April 2018 What’s going on? Medicare is finally re-issuing Medicare Cards that don’t contain Social Security Numbers to their beneficiaries. For the rest of this post we will...

HDMS Version 3.18 Sneak Peek Recap

Yesterday we hosted the Sneak Peek for HDMS v3.18 which is now publicly released. Yes, it's here! As usual, me and the Universal Team were overjoyed by the insightful questions & comments that come from our talented group of Clients &...

2017 HDMS User Conference Brochure Now Available

2017 HDMS User Conference Brochure Now In Your Mailbox. 'Knocking Down Barriers' is the theme for the third 2017 HDMS Annual Users Conference in Livonia, Michigan.  The conference is September 20 & 21st, with early registration check-in on...

CMS Update on Mass Adjustment -- Hurry up and wait!

The several dormant winter months after CMS released its instruction regarding CR9968 Mass Adjustment stemming from the CURES Act were quite a contrast to barrage of information that started flowing from the MAC Contractors in May. Only a week after...

Medicare High Liter Flow Oxygen Changes

April 1st changes were put into effect about the billing and reimbursement for our high liter flow oxygen patients who also use a portable system. CMS released a “clarification” document which always leaves us wanting more! While we and our...

ZirMed Announces Key Partnership Milestones

Company Appoints New Vice President of Partner and Corporate Development to Help Support its Growing Partner Program NEWS PROVIDED BY ZirMed  Dec 14, 2016, 08:00 EST     LOUISVILLE, Ky., April 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --...

FREE Webinar: Complex Rehab in HDMS!

Take the Complexity out of Complex Rehab with HDMS! When I describe Complex Rehab to people outside of our industry, I say, "Imagine building a custom Mercedes for someone.... and then trying to get Medicare to pay for it." At Universal...

USS Academy Webinar Kickoff

We are happy to announce our introduction to the USS Academy has been a success.  We would like to thank everyone who attended USS Academy kickoff webinar.  We appreciated all the questions and request for more information.  We will be holding...

Free Webinar: USS Academy

School's IN for Summer! The school year may be winding down for the kids, but here at Universal Software Solutions we're just getting started!  Join us on either Wednesday, June 1st at 9:00 am or 2:00 pm OR Tuesday, June 14th at 11:00...

Revised**Mark Your Calendars!! Medicare Changes

Mark Your Calendars!! Attention: CAPARIO & ZIRMED users Re: Medicare Contractor changes in HDMS Payer Table Action Needed on :  6/30/16 Revised: If you transmit Medicare claims through a clearinghouse like Capario or Zirmed, you may not...

Universal Software Joins Jurisdiction D DAC

At Universal Software Solutions, our mission is to enhance the efficiency, profitability, and effectiveness of each of our clients by the use of technology and our personal, dedicated commitment to their success. We are committed to provide more...

2016 Medicare Competitive Billing Rollout

AAHomecare reports that Senate Bill S2736 has been introduced in the Senate.  Many member of the Senate Finance Committee has already signed on board. This bill will: Delays the 2nd phase of cuts by an estimated 15 months (10/1/17) Secures...

2016 Users Conference

Elevate Your Knowledge is Universal Software Solutions’ Annual Users Conference. The conference is your event to meet and network with prominent speakers, other HDMS users, and Universal staff. You will have an opportunity for training and...

Webinar: Medicare Audits

Medicare Audits -  An In-Depth Look at Strategic Health and RAC In their pursuit to shift beyond a "pay and chase" approach, CMS has given Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) the authority to request and review documentation related...

Webinar: Eligibility Verification

One-Click Patient Insurance Eligibility empowers customer service representatives with a tool to reduce the time and effort required to provide your patients with products and services that can be properly reimbursed. This replaces endless phone...

Technology improvements to advance the HME provider

Technology improvements to advance the HME provider Over the last few years, the information technology services available to HME providers have been evolving.  These services continue to expand in the areas of automating manual tasks along with...

HDMS v3.10 Now Available on User Forums

Update files for HDMS v3.10 are now available! As with the previous versions, all Release Notes, Sneak Peek Videos, and Update Files are published on the USSI User Forums for easy access and download. As always, we recommend that you read over the...

USS Introduces the HDMS License Manager

USS introduces the HDMS License Manager Beginning with HDMS version 3.7 (scheduled for a June, 2013 release) the HDMS License Manager will be required. The License Manager will handle the managing and distributing of HDMS client licenses to HDMS...

NEW Enhancement Request Portal

HDMS News: NEW Enhancement Request Portal To improve how enhancement requests are received and handled, we have released our new Enhancement Request Portal through our website. What this new portal allows for is easy, detailed entry of enhancement...

Disaster Planning

Disaster Planning: HDMS System Safe If Hurricane Sandy taught us anything, it’s that no matter your geographic location, disaster can still strike in unexpected ways. Is your business prepared for these unique and rare circumstances? Is your data...

HDMS News: NEW Enhancement Request Portal

HDMS News: NEW Enhancement Request Portal To improve how enhancement requests are received and handled, we have released our new Enhancement Request Portal through our website. What this new portal allows for is easy, detailed entry of enhancement...

Disaster Planning: HDMS System Safe

Disaster Planning: HDMS System Safe If Hurricane Sandy taught us anything, it’s that no matter your geographic location, disaster can still strike in unexpected ways. Is your business prepared for these unique and rare circumstances? Is your data...

Ready for 5010

Are you one of those who get nervous when you hear the numbers 5010? The change from ICD-9 to ICD-10 in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is slated for the end of the current year. Universal Software is...

Billing Rural Areas to Medicare? MUST READ!

After a hard fought victory by the HME community, Providers began to see increased rates for rural areas published by CMS for effect June 1st, 2018. However, with regular rate files published in July we see that they had already begun to decrement...