Hospice prefers Carolina's HME
By Elizabeth Deprey
Updated Fri June 21, 2013
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Carolina's Home Medical Equipment announced in May that it will be the go-to provider for a local hospice company.
“We've built a very nice business with them as they've grown,” said Frank Trammell, president and CEO of Carolina's Home Medical. “At some point, everything we do, we've offered to the hospice patients.”
Carolina's Home Medical has worked with Hospice and Palliative Care Charlotte (HPCCR) for nine years, but the company is now its preferred provider. The hospice served 5,600 patients last year.
HPCCR pays Carolina's Home Medical a per diem fee to rent its equipment—a base amount per patient, per day, based on the hospice's census. For that fee, Carolina's Home Medical provides any HME a patient might need.
The partnership is much easier than working with Medicare, says Trammell.
“There aren't audits by Medicare; their bills are paid on time, every time; and they appreciate our level of service,” he said.
It also simplifies billing, says Andrew Trammell, controller at Carolina's Home Medical.
“It doesn't require a team of experts to get paid,” he said.
For its part, HPCCR says partnering with Carolina's Home Medical instead of creating its own HME division allows the company to concentrate on caring for patients.
“It's better to partner with someone in the area who's an expert—and Frank's approach to running the business is to be highly responsive to the needs of the customers,” said Peter Brunnick, HPCCR president and CEO.
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