Archive: April 2009

BOCA RATON, Fla.--Online provider Total e-Medical entered the blogosphere in March with the launch of its News Blog. “We wanted to give our patients and our prospective patients a place where they could go and read the latest news in their care areas,” said Nicole Balistreri, marketing and communications director for the company. “There's tons of diabetic blogs, but if you've got an ostomy, there aren't a lot of places where you can go to read the different things that are happening...

With national competitive bidding hanging over their heads again, industry stakeholders participated in a flurry of lobbying activity during the April Congressional recess. On April 6, the Pennsylvania Association of Medical Suppliers (PAMS) hosted an “HME Survival Summit” in Pittsburg that was attended by U.S. Reps. Jason Altmire, D-Pa., and Tim Murphy, R-Pa. The next day, The VGM Group's Van Miller hosted a fundraiser at his home in Waterloo, Iowa, for U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa. “People...

WATERLOO, Iowa--The VGM Group's founder and CEO Van Miller held nothing back in March when he issued a letter that blasted The Scooter Store for engaging in business practices that, he claimed, have helped ignite a government backlash against the HME industry. Miller contends that the challenges the industry now faces - added documentation costs, surety bonds, etc. - “could have been avoided if just a few companies had heeded common sense and refrained from figuratively 'poking the tiger with...

I read, with interest, the recent article on complex rehab in HME News, and I am inspired to add some of my thoughts and experience on the subject. Over the past year, I have noticed that virtually every article regarding “complex rehab” is written from the perspective that “complex rehab” is comprised solely of Group 3 power wheelchairs. This focus exclusively on power wheelchairs ignores the vast improvements in the technology available for manual wheelchair users. More...

BALTIMORE--The national competitive bidding rule was expected to go into affect April 18, but it was the surety bond rule that dominated the conversation during an Open Door Forum April 1. CMS officials offered a few details and clarifications on the $50,000 surety bond rule, which goes into effect May 4 for new providers who seek to enroll in Medicare and those changing ownership, and Oct. 2 for existing providers. They include: 4If an application is pending with the National Supplier Clearinghouse...

HARRISBURG, Pa.- How's this for tech support: Computer Applications Unlimited (CAU) has partnered with an industry veteran to provide onsite troubleshooting and consulting services to its customers. In March, CAU partnered with Mike Tracey, founder of Sturgeon Bay, Wis.-based Mike Tracey Consulting. “In today's market, HME providers have to use technology at a greater level than they have before,” said Terry Dinsmore, CEO of CAU. CAU has always e-mailed customers to advise them on how...

ST. PAUL, Minn.--Medical device manufacturer Smiths Medical plans to discontinue its insulin pump and exit the diabetes market completely, the company announced March 25. The diabetes market has “little synergy with the rest of Smiths Medical's businesses,” according to a press release. The Deltec Cozmo insulin pump was the company's only direct-to-consumer product and required separate staff. The company will lay off 51 employees. The company's exit from the market won't be immediate,...

Q. My congressman doesn't seem to be responsive when I call or visit. What can I do to get him to listen to me? A. It is very difficult for a member of Congress to be unresponsive to someone they know, so the first strategy is to develop a relationship with him or her. In the past, we used the strategy of contacting our members of Congress at the 11th hour and asking them to support or oppose a particular issue. Often, this was done once a year at a legislative conference, and we made little contact...

Q. I've always been a (fill-in the blank: oxygen, rehab or DME) provider. What does it take for me to add (fill-in the blank: oxygen, rehab or DME) to my product mix? A. Diversifying your product line is an important and scary prospect with all of the changes in the HME industry. And while there are certainly barriers to overcome, the benefits of adding a new or complementary product line can contribute to both the profitability and stability of your business. That's if it's done properly. To succeed,...

FARGO, N.D.--HME providers in this area aren't strangers to bad weather, but in late March, they battled flooding rains one week and a blizzard the next. As a result, providers like Fargo-based MeritCare/HealthCare Accessories were in full emergency response mode. They contacted hundreds of oxygen patients to make sure they had enough contents to get through three or four days without deliveries. They stocked delivery trucks with equipment, in case they had to abandon their Fargo branches. “We...