If DME billing feels chaotic, that’s because it often is. DME in the hospice setting requires rigorous documentation, up-to-date HCPCS coding, and timely equipment delivery, all within the constraints of fixed budgets and lean teams. Any lapse, whether a missing signature, incorrect code, or late delivery, can result in compliance issues or delivery delays that ripple through patient care.
Hospices don't bill Medicare separately for DME, but documentation and usage must still align with CMS expectations. Errors here don't result in claim denials - but they do lead more than just administrative rework, vendor relationships, and increased costs. Errors can trigger an audit or even a hospice medical review. Based on those reviews, CMS can recoup hospice payments or deny them all together on the underlying hospice per diem. And because equipment usage directly affects patient comfort and caregiver perception, even small inefficiencies can erode patient experience and CAHPS scores.
DME vendors are essential to hospice care but their role is limited. Most simply deliver and pick up equipment. They aren’t structured to support coding accuracy, vendor choice, formulary compliance, or hospice-specific billing documentation. When equipment availability, condition, or documentation becomes an issue, the hospice bears the full burden of resolving it.
What many hospices don’t realize is that while vendors may use ERP systems for claim-compliant billing in traditional settings, those systems don’t transfer to hospice workflows because hospices aren’t billing payors. In many cases, vendors push invoices with general codes, and hospices are left with the task of reconciling equipment descriptions against clinical usage.
At Qualis, we manage the complexities of DME so hospices can focus on care. We’re not a vendor, we're a hospice-focused DME management partner with deep clinical and regulatory knowledge.
Our platform does not directly populate orders from your EMR. Hospice staff log into the Qualis system to place DME orders. However, we’ve designed the platform to align closely with hospice workflows, offering features like:
Smart formulary integration: See insurer-preferred equipment upfront to avoid surprise non-formulary charges.
Audit-ready reporting: View DME utilization by patient, item, and vendor. Exportable, real-time dashboards make audits easier.
Networked vendor management: Tap into hundreds of DME providers via one contract, one platform, and one support contact. We’re vendor-agnostic and don’t compete with our partners.
Proactive order oversight: Our team reviews every order and pickup request, flagging potential issues before they affect care.
Cost-control services: We identify ordering trends, flag overutilization, and align usage to clinical needs through our DME Diagnosis™️ service.
Though some of our internal codes differ from CMS standards due to our unique tracking approach (including Z codes for generalized items), our platform flags compliance concerns and allows teams to cross-reference standardized HCPCS codes where needed for documentation alignment.
We’re more than a platform, we’re your DME frontline. When there’s a service delay, equipment shortage, or specialty need, our team intervenes. We’ve sourced ventilators on Friday afternoons and coordinated with non-contracted vendors to ensure continuity of care for patients who want to keep familiar equipment.
We help your team stay educated with CE/CME-accredited hospice-specific DME training, clinical decision trees, and access to best practices from our Qualis team of experts.
DME management doesn't have to be a burden. With Qualis, you gain a dedicated partner that simplifies procurement, centralizes vendor management, and gives you the tools to manage costs and compliance. We don’t promise automation miracles but we do deliver clarity, efficiency, and peace of mind.
Want to make hospice DME management easier? Talk to our team to see how Qualis can reduce admin burdens, control costs, and help your team stay focused on what matters most—your patients.