Archive: 2004

As the DMERC's senior and arguably its most respected medical director, chances are you'll find Dr. Adrian Oleck's fingerprints all over most medical policies for durable medical equipment. That kind of influence can't be under estimated. When it comes to deciding what a beneficiary is eligible for and what Medicare will and will not pay for, Oleck's the key gatekeeper. DMERC medical directors all have their areas of interest and take the lead on certain issues, but in most instances, he's the...

The HME industry hasn't had it this tough since 1997 when the Balanced Budget Act cut oxygen reimbursement by 30%. Today, the industry's strongest bulwark against a perfect storm of changes (FEHPB cuts, ASP cuts for respiratory meds, competitive bidding) is AAHomecare. Standing at the helm through these first two gusts is Tim Pontius, chairman of AAHomecare and president of Young Medical Equipment in Toledo, Ohio. Pontius's influence is more sublime than Larry Higby's at Apria or Paul Gabos' at...

If there's an unknown quantity among the 10 most influential people in the HME industry, it's probably Dr. Sean Tunis, CMS's chief medical officer and its director of the Office of Clinical Standards and Quality. Tunis joined CMS about 20 years ago, but until he became medical director earlier this year, the industry had little direct interaction with him. What interaction it did have revealed Tunis to take a conservative view of coverage criteria, and a sometimes dim view of the HME industry. At...

Providers At the Arizona Medical Equipment Suppliers Association (AZMESA), 3rd annual conference in June, the members voted in a new board of directors. Serving AZMESA for 2004-2005: President: Steven Treinen, Banner Health System; Vice President: Mark Farmer, Southwest Mobility; Secretary: Curt McLees, OrthoRehab; Treasurer: Patti Hartzell, Sierra Medical Supply; Past President: Richard McKee, Dependable Health Services Inc. Voted to the board of directors was Maureen Hanna, Healthcare Reimbursement...

COLUMBUS, Ohio - HME suppliers here were on defense in November, following a Fleecing of America-type story on oxygen reimbursement that aired on a local news station, according to the Ohio Association of Medical Equipment Suppliers. The story brought to light a complaint from one elderly couple who felt that concentrators, like their home CPAP machine, should be a capped rental item under Medicare. The reporter also interviewed Columbus-area provider and AAHomecare Chairman Tim Pontius, who touted...

Years from now, long after the BBA ‘97 and the Wheeler Dealers are forgotten, people in the HME industry will still be talking about Invacare CEO Mal Mixon. Like him or loathe him, you can't ignore him or the company he wields. Swaggering, outspoken and relentless, Mixon is the industry's largest personality. In this wayward corner of the business world, Mixon's who we have instead of Iacocca and Welch. Stories about him have already acquired a sepia-like cast. Take the one about how, on a whim,...

If anyone in the home medical equipment industry knows the identity of “Deep Throat”, the inside source that brought down the Nixon White House, it's Larry Higby. Long before he joined Apria as COO in 1997 (he became CEO in 2001), Higby served as H.R. Haldeman's assistant. Haldeman, of course, served as Nixon's chief of staff and eventually served 18 months in prison for conspiracy, obstruction of justice and perjury in the Watergate cover-up. Deep Throat once referred to Higby as a...

1: Sunrise Whenever the term “Olympic-sized” is used to describe a venue, it immediately conjures up the image of something big. As the largest exhibitor at Medtrade, Longmont, Colo.-based Sunrise could modify the phrase to “Paralympic-sized.” Using the theme “Improving peoples' lives one person at a time,” Sunrise is showcasing new technologies, offering a “sneak peek” into the future of its product lines. The 100' x 80' Sunrise booth will prominently...

I would like people to know that David Miller in his article (HME News, December 2004) talked about “those who went before us.” I was privileged to work with David in the late 70's and continued to work with him throughout the years. David represents the very characteristic that he talks about in his letter, humility, kindness, passion, and with David he added a sense of humor and a true zest for life. David shared his knowledge and energy with all he met and for me. As one of his suppliers...

Nova opens new Chicago facility GARDENA, Calif. - Nova Ortho-Med, an 11-year-old manufacturer of beds, wheelchairs, bath safety items and DME, reduced its ship time to the East Coast and Midwest from one week to two days with the opening of a new facility in Chicago last month. Nova currently ships from a warehouse in Los Angeles and from its factory in Taiwan. At first, the L.A. facility will supplement inventory in the Midwest, but eventually the Woodridge, Ill., location will be stocked primarily...