Archive: March 2008

SAN CARLOS, Calif. - Hardly a month passes without news of a home medical equipment provider expanding his business. Late last year, however, Daryl Bowman did the exact opposite when he stopped servicing the San Francisco Bay Area. Bowman, owner of Bowman Medical, which has one location in San Carlos, Calif., now serves only San Mateo County, an area with about 705,500 residents. “We discontinued taking referral sources in the San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose areas,” he said. “We...

LONG BEACH, Calif. - At a time when information carries premium value in the HME industry, organizers of Medtrade Spring's educational sessions say this year's program may have the richest content ever. The May 6-8 conference not only features several seminars on competitive bidding, but also focuses on business topics designed to help companies looking to decrease their dependence on Medicare. “There is a real emphasis on business operations this year—on niches, alternative revenue sources...

SALT LAKE CITY - Unable to find a software platform that fit its needs, Orbit Medical decided to develop its own. “When a company finds its niche and does something a certain way, out-of-the-box software (isn't always the best solution),” said Kelly Albiston, vice president and a partner in the three-year-old company. “One of the things I've found missing out of all the software—and there's a lot of good stuff out there—was accountability, whether for products and patients...

DULUTH, Ga., and WATERLOO, Iowa - The VGM Group in March inked a 10-year exclusive partnership with Brightree, an Internet billing and business services company. “We've had a non-exclusive relationship for three years, and VGM members now make up 320 of Brightree's 620 customers,” said VGM President Ron Bendell. “Through this partnership, we intend to create a large, virtual VGM-Brightree community that can leverage a wealth of services that no individual provider could ever assemble...

NAPLES, Fla. -Industry consultant Vince Crew has written a new book: “Everyday Ethics, Everlasting Consequences: A personal guide to professional integrity.” In classic Crew style, the 94-page paperback ($15.95)—perfect for skimming while on business travel—uses everyday language and business examples to cut through the high falutin rhetoric that so often and tediously accompanies high-minded philosophical topics. That, in part, was Crew's goal. “People don't need theoretical...

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Denials for negative pressure wound therapy increased during the fourth quarter, from 86% to 90% in Jurisdiction A. TriCenturion's prepay review, released in February, found that 10% of claims were paid and 72% were denied. Of the denied claims, 4% were denied because no medical records were submitted for review; 96% were denied because they did not meet coverage criteria; and 18% of claims were denied for non-response. TriCenturion began reviewing claims in 2006 for new products...

You might say Tom Hanchar's got a wrap on wound care referrals in his community. In January, he opened a satellite office in a local hospital. “They can leave the physician's office, walk down the hall, come right in and get treatment, supplies and education,” said Hanchar, president and CEO of Thomas International in Fort Wayne, Ind. The 1,875 square-foot Lymphedema, Edema and Wound Care Group is located in Lutheran Hospital, part of the large Triad hospital network. Hanchar said patient...

ATLANTA - Home medical equipment providers in Georgia now have two accreditation deadlines to contend with. Providers learned recently that they must become accredited by April 1, 2009, if they want to continue doing business with the state's Medicaid program. All providers must become accredited by Sept. 30, 2009, if they want to continue doing business with Medicare. “We're not accredited yet, but we're confident we'll be accredited long before the deadline comes,” said Scott Lloyd,...

BARRIE, Ontario - After Microsoft bundled its operating system with the shipment of new PCs, Windows emerged as the dominant platform worldwide. On a smaller scale, Home Care Southmedic is shipping its software—in this case a cannula and a mask—with SeQual's concentrators. “This helps Southmedic increase our brand awareness and visibility for the products' many Southmedic benefits to both the homecare provider and LTOT user worldwide,” said Bob Mogue, director of Home Care...

LONG BEACH, Calif. - While no one knows yet what life under national competitive bidding will look like, Medtrade Spring's education committee members promise that bidding seminars will present the most current, relevant information possible for attendees. Instead of using a crystal ball, conference planners have to rely more on old-fashioned due diligence when determining the most appropriate sessions for the spring conference months ahead of time, committee member Mary Ellen Conway said, especially...