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Invacare: We can't absorb all cost increases

Invacare: We can't absorb all cost increases

ELYRIA, Ohio - Invacare will raise prices on select products May 1, 2011.

In an April 4 letter, the manufacturer explained that due to the rising costs of doing business, it will raise prices on select products in the following product categories: homecare beds and mattresses; personal care; respiratory; custom manual and manual wheelchairs; patient transport; power rehab; and rehab parts.

"Invacare's cost reductions and global streamlining of our operations continue unabated," stated Brian Ellacott, vice president and general manager, commercial operations, homecare and long-term care, North America. "However, even with these aggressive actions, the pace of the current increases in raw materials, transportation costs and negative foreign exchange impact make it impossible for Invacare to absorb all of these costs in their entirety."

Ellacott continued: "While taking on most of the negative impact, Invacare will be increasing prices as minimally as possible on a limited number of home medical equipment products, based on the specific areas most impacted by these cost pressures."

Invacare's price adjustments include a $30 net increase for homecare beds; a $5 net increase for stationary concentrators and kits containing stationary concentrators; a 1% list increase for the Solara 3G custom manual wheelchair; a 4% list increase for power lifts and slings; and a $7.50 increase for a U1 AGM battery on-chair and $10 increase for the same battery off-chair.

Despite costs pressures, Invacare will continue to invest in new products, programs and services. It will also continue to represent the HME industry in Washington, D.C., Ellacott said.

"Faced with the issues confronting our industry, it is important not to lose sight of the future," he stated. "We must continue to communicate to politicians, bureaucrats and the public at large that we enhance people's quality of life while at the same time provide a solution to the escalation of healthcare costs in the country."

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