Mass Bay changes name

HANOVER, Mass. - Mass Bay Respiratory recently changed its name to Mass Bay Medical in an effort to rebrand the company and move on from the past.

“We're not really into oxygen (anymore), so the name was deceiving,” said Dianne Long, owner.

When Long and her husband opened Mass Bay Respiratory in 1999, they offered hospice and respiratory services. However, that changed about seven years ago once CMS launched the competitive bidding program.

“The prices weren't right so we decided to get out of Medicare,” said Long, who only accepts cash now. “When you bill insurance you have to have a full-time billing specialist on staff and if you're doing oxygen, you have to have a respiratory therapist on staff. Before, they allowed you to pay per diem. Now you have to pay them (up to) $80,000 a year and I don't even have enough work for them.”

Today, Long has four employees and two businesses: Mass Bay Medical and Home Care Express, both at the same location.

Mass Bay Medical provides hospice services, while Home Care Express functions primarily as a retail store, offering aids to daily living, bathroom safety, lift chairs, power and manual wheelchairs, and hospital beds.

Hospice makes up 80% of Long's business and while she's become an expert in her field, a lot has changed even in the last two years, says Long.

“Before, hospice used to be a monthly charge,” she said. “Now it's a daily charge and that can be challenging because the cost for us is a little bit higher. Major corporations—the ones that have 15 different store fronts—they can bring their prices down.”

Simultaneously, Mass Bay Medical's size is also its strength. While larger corporations may have an advantage when it comes to pricing, they don't always have the same personal touch that mom and pops do.

“Because it is a family owned business, we've adapted to be more customer service related,” she said.