Archive: September 2009
Going out of business: Part of life these days
September 30, 2009HME News Staff
A country in recession. Tight credit markets. A 36-month cap on oxygen and an across-the-board cut of 9.5% on most Medicare product categories. Add it all up and it's no surprise that some providers are shutting their doors.
For those left standing, that's good and bad, say the 64% of respondents to the September HME NewsPoll who have seen competitors go out of business in the past year.
"It's been positive in that more business was gained," wrote one provider, "but negative in the respect that the...
Nunn's Home Medical Equipment: 'We take pride in what we do'
September 30, 2009John Andrews
Though the owners have updated the name to Nunn's Home Medical Equipment, there are many around town who still call the company Nunn's Hospital Supplies because that is how people remember it.
The full-line home medical equipment company goes back 67 years to 1942, when late founder Martin J. Nunn started the venture on a whim. As son-in-law Joe Ryan explains it, Nunn operated a funeral parlor at the time and saw an opportunity for medical equipment when he ordered a dozen wheelchairs...
Show them the money
September 30, 2009Liz Beaulieu, Editor
The Scooter Store today joined a growing group of industry stakeholders that are taking the OIG to task for a report claiming the power mobility industry enjoys enormous profits. That's "laughable," says Doug Harrison, CEO and founder. The OIG, he says, overlooks these services associated with doing business with Medicare:
? Customer Intake, Education and Interaction
? Documentation Collection and Management
? Delivery Set Up, Service, Warehousing,...
Video drives home infusion message
September 30, 2009Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The National Home Infusion Association (NHIA) recently donned a filmmaker's cap to bring life to its message.
"Act Now--Resolve the Medicare Home Infusion Coverage Gap" features three vignettes that dramatize the plight of seniors who can't be treated at home because Medicare pays only for home infusion drugs, not related services and supplies.
In the first, a patient who must remain institutionalized during his six-week treatment learns that his wife, left on her...
Cy Corgan: Yes, retail sales can grow
September 30, 2009Amanda Estes
Thanks to the shaky economy, consumers are saving more and buying less, but that's no reason for providers to let retail sales fall by the wayside, says retail mobility expert Cy Corgan. With effective marketing, providers can drive traffic to their stores and increase revenue. In his Medtrade session, "Retail Mobility--Best Practices for Success in a Turbulent Economy," Corgan will share his strategies for retail success.
HME News: Why focus on retail mobility, as opposed to retail for other...
The five commandments
September 30, 2009HME News Staff
As 2009 rolled out, there was very little information disseminated to HME providers on the new rules and processes for home oxygen therapy mandated by the Deficient Reduction Act and the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, both passed in 2008. Providers faced new and more complex reimbursement policies and decreased reimbursement, not to mention misinformed CMS personnel pitting patients against them. It's no wonder some providers have questioned whether they want to continue in...
Cy Corgan: Yes, retail sales can grow
September 30, 2009Amanda Estes
Thanks to the shaky economy, consumers are saving more and buying less, but that's no reason for providers to let retail sales fall by the wayside, says retail mobility expert Cy Corgan. With effective marketing, providers can drive traffic to their stores and increase revenue. In his Medtrade session, "Retail Mobility--Best Practices for Success in a Turbulent Economy," Corgan will share his strategies for retail success.
HME News: Why focus on retail mobility, as opposed to retail for other...
Respiratory provider lands on elite list
September 30, 2009HME News Staff
When it comes to home medical equipment providers, Extrakare is in a class by itself.
The five-year-old company, which has grown 834.6% since 2004, recently turned up on Inc. magazine's 2009 list of America's 500 fastest-growing private businesses. Extrakare placed 271st on the list. That made the company the 25th fastest-growing private healthcare business in America and the 8th fastest-growing private business in Atlanta. While some specialty pharmacy and home nursing companies appeared on the...
Smith & Nephew remains positive
September 30, 2009Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
Smith & Nephew first entered the negative pressure wound therapy market in 2007 when it bought Blue Sky Medical, but the company has a long track record--150 years--of working in wound care. The NPWT market, currently about $1.2 billion annually in the United States, presents a "big, attractive opportunity," says Tom Dugan, president, North America for Smith & Nephew advanced wound management.
HME News: Is the negative pressure market still considered a young market?
Tom Dugan: It's not a mature...
Briefs: Kay's key to success
September 30, 2009HME News Staff
Kay's key to success
PLAINVIEW, N.Y. - Fastrack Healthcare Systems has unveiled a suite of new products with one goal in mind: to help HME providers improve productivity and do more with less, said President Spencer Kay. "It is not going to be easy to control the prices that providers can charge, but they can control operating costs," he said. "One way to do that is to keep down the number of people you need to hire and to make existing employees more productive." To that end, the new offerings...