Archive: July 2002

Pick just about any clinician in the medical community and chances are that person is a referral source for compression garments and orthopedic soft goods. What's more, some new titles are cropping up that are tailor-made for these markets. As a result, an industrious sales representative like Tracy Sempowich has found unlimited potential for building a strong compression and orthotics business. "I see more than 400 physicians in all disciplines," said Sempowich, director of marketing for Sun Coast...

To change image, make noise With Allison Cherney Q: A patient recently saw an NBC Nightly News story titled, "The Fleecing of America," on DME and cracked a joke about our industry. Can we market our way out from under the fraud and abuse image? A: Yes, we can all market our way out from under the fraud and abuse image. The way to change this image is to institute a mini public relations campaign. The first step is to set up a communication campaign in your local market. A communication campaign...

LONGMONT, Colo. - A high-profile rehab expert says Sunrise Medical's recent specialization and a "great offer" from the company have lured him from the MED Group's National Rehab Network. W.B. Mick left a two-year stint as executive director of the rehab network last month to join Sunrise Medical - for the second time - as its v.p. of rehab sales. Mick has already logged nine years with the company from 1989 to 1998 as a western regional sales manager and a senior product manager for manual products. "I...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Central Medical Equipment Rentals has asked the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) in a six-page protest to return the three bids it awarded the company for its competitive bidding project. Or else, Central Medical will take AHCA to court. AHCA had initially released a "notice of intent to award" bids to the Coral Gables, Fla.-based Central Medical for regions 9, 10 and 11. Just hours after the notice was released, however, AHCA suspended the awards, and weeks later,...

BOSTON - After 25 years as arguably the First Lady of HME, Janet Sahr called it quits recently and retired, a year after selling her $20-plus million company Home Care Supply. Sahr started Medi-Rents with two partners in 1977. During her career, she served on the Region A DMERC council and as president of the New England Medical Equipment Dealers Association (NEMED). She was the first and only chair of NAMES (now AAHomecare), which recently gave her a Lifetime Achievement award. Sahr stayed on...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Central Medical Equipment Rentals has asked the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) in a six-page protest to return the three bids it awarded the company for its competitive bidding project. Or else, Central Medical will take AHCA to court. AHCA had initially released a "notice of intent to award" bids to the Coral Gables, Fla.-based Central Medical for regions 9, 10 and 11. Just hours after the notice was released, however, AHCA suspended the awards, and weeks later,...

WASHINGTON - Whether the much-heralded, new ostomy codes should include six add-on codes for pouches is up for debate, CMS told the United Ostomy Association (UOA) last month. CMS has asked the DMERC medical directors to take a second look at the new codes and fees, and the Irvine, Calif.-based UOA, which has worked with the agency since last year to shape the new codes, requested a meeting with CMS to find out why. Linda Aukett, UOA's chairwoman of government affairs, said CMS fears the way the...

Tom Antone had planned to retire May 17. But as you might expect from a lawyer who spent many years working 12- and 14-hour days representing home medical equipment providers and other healthcare companies, getting out on time is easier said than done. Antone officially pulled down his shingle June 30, closing, for the most part, a legal career that included serving as assistant secretary for health legislation at the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and a stint as president...

PINETOP, Ariz. - As the Rodeo-Chediski fire in northeast Arizona raged just 10 miles away - flames 100 feet high, torching and jumping from treetop to treetop - Jerry Armstrong gutted his HME office, loading concentrators, cylinders and patient files into his three vans and moving them and his family 50 miles away. "When they first evacuated us, they were talking that the fire could come roaring through our area," said Armstrong, who owns Aspen Oxygen here. "If the wind picks up, there is nothing...

Providers, look out for 'agents' With Neil Caesar Q. Rotech Healthcare just uncovered fraud by one of its subcontractors that almost resulted in $30 million in false billings. Do I need to worry about my subcontractors, partners, vendors, etc.? A. Effective compliance requires HME suppliers to look out for their "agents" - subcontractors, partners and vendors. It is also good business to do so. The federal compliance guidelines for the HME industry state that suppliers should create written policies...