TV tidbits: Senate support, system cracks, right-sizing and more

I just reviewed 10 HME News TV interviews for a new schedule for the first quarter of 2014. Know what that means? I have a preview for you.

From the interview with Invacare's Cara Bachenheimer, I learned that even though stakeholders don't have a bill to replace competitive bidding with a market-pricing program (MPP) introduced in the Senate, that doesn't mean they don't have support there. She says, “They're looking at this bill,” meaning the bill in the House of Representatives, H.R. 1717. This has new meaning now that we know a group of senators has offered to include or support including an amendment to fix the bid program in the “doc fix” bill being marked up.

Pride Mobility's Seth Johnson on repair issues for power mobility devices in the wake of competitive bidding and The Scooter Store closing: CMS “has acknowledged that their phones are literally ringing off the hook.” He says relief needs to cover two areas: documentation and reimbursement.

AAHomecare's Tom Ryan on competitive bidding: He sees “cracks in the system."

Consultant Lisa Wells on selling cash items online: Behold the power of video. She says consumers are turning to websites to do more than reading. “They're watching videos,” she says. “They're more likely to buy if there's a video that shows how a product works.”

Provider Cliff Woolard is the first to admit that getting into retail isn't easy or foolproof, but it's a decision that has paid off for this company. He says finding the right location was the single most important factor in his success. “We're used to renting a low-cost warehouse in an off-traffic area,” he said. “I drove around for six months to find the right location.”

Consultants Regis Farrell and Mike Sperduti on right-sizing your company: Reducing your headcount is a sensitive subject, but often a necessary move in tough times, they say. One caveat: Don't rush to make cuts in your sales and marketing departments, they say. “You have to sell your way out” of tough times, Sperduti says. For those employees worth keeping onboard: Reward for results, they say.

Tune in to HME News TV in January for more!