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Archive: May 2019


Mobility

Mike Osborn, all in for NRRTS

May 31, 2019Liz Beaulieu, Editor

PITTSBURGH - Mike Osborn, the recipient of this year's Simon Margolis Fellow Award, likes to say, “NRRTS is the best thing that ever happened to me.” Osborn, who co-owns Alliance Rehab and Medical Equipment in Ozark, Mo., with three other ATPs and who serves as the treasurer for NRRTS's executive committee, says the organization's leadership and registrants fuel his work and advocacy. “Once you work with these folks, the passion takes over,” he said. “You want to make...

Mike Osborn, Simon Margolis Fellow Award


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Smart Talk

Customer financing: Offer options as advantage

May 31, 2019Tim Donovan

A. In a crowded market like medical equipment, it can be hard to stand out. As customers are faced with more choices, identifying and understanding the target audience for your products is important. Recently we completed a generational health study which shed light into how each generation pays for care. We learned that customers in each generation can struggle to pay out-of-pocket healthcare and equipment costs. When insurance coverage for equipment decreases, customers may be more inclined to...

CareCredit, Financing, Tim Donovan


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Editorial

Protecting CRT state by state

May 31, 2019Guest Commentary

In the political process, complete bipartisan support is rare. But in March, both houses in the Tennessee legislature unanimously passed a bill establishing a separate benefit for complex rehab technology (CRT) products provided through Medicaid.  CRT products—such as power wheelchairs—are designed to meet the unique needs of individuals with disabilities and profound healthcare challenges. In practical terms, the legislation designates CRT as its own category, protecting it from...

Bill Mixon, Complex Rehab Technology (CRT)


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Smart Talk

Respiratory Solutions: Reduce liability, rest easy

May 31, 2019Mike Chorney

A. Firebreaks are incredibly important and inexpensive devices that can save patients' lives and reduce injuries.Crucial componentHousehold fire is an important concern for home oxygen patients. Cigarette smoking is the most common cause of fires, but they can also be started by candles, gas stoves or other sources of ignition. The firebreak is a thermal fuse that stops the flow of oxygen during therapy, in the event that the downstream tubing is accidentally ignited. They are fitted to the patient's...

Home Oxygen Equipment, Mike Chorney, Sunset Healthcare Solutions


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Smart Talk

E-prescribing: Eliminate guessing

May 31, 2019David Gelbard

A. In 2019, consumers have never had more transparency and efficiency when ordering items in their everyday lives. You know when those shoes you ordered on Amazon will be delivered, when the Uber driver will pick you up, and you'll get an alert from Delta if your flight is delayed. But for some reason, a patient isn't given the same basic level of transparency for the equipment they desperately need, in today's healthcare world.Currently, most caregivers still order medical equipment for patients...

David Gelbard, e-prescribing, Parachute Health


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Vendors

Q&A: Matt Mellott: Brightree's big picture

May 31, 2019Liz Beaulieu, Editor

ATLANTA - Brightree went into Medtrade Spring in April following a busy end to 2018 and start to 2019. The company, which is owned by ResMed, acquired Apacheta in December and announced its latest integration with Quality Biomedical in January. Here's what CEO Matt Mellott had to say about what's next, including its newest product Advanced Analytics, a platform that highlights workflow insights, and tracks KPIs and peer benchmarking.HME News: Most recently, Brightree integrated with Quality Biomedical...

Brightree


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Vendors

ResMed: 'We're only getting started'

May 31, 2019Liz Beaulieu, Editor

SAN DIEGO - How much has ResMed grown in the past 30 years? Here's one way to look at it: The company reported revenues of $1 million for its first fiscal year in 1990; it reported revenues of $662.2 million for the third quarter alone for fiscal year 2019. ResMed marked its 30th anniversary last week and Robert Douglas, president and COO, spoke with HME News about the company's evolution and the increasing role of data in its success. “We're really only getting started,” he said.HME...

ResMed


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Providers

Peacock feathers and lift chair bingo: All in a day's work for HME retailers

May 31, 2019Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor

From solid bets like selling lift chairs to stocking this season's hottest styles, it's all in a day's work for today's HME retailer providers they say. During a panel discussion at Medtrade Spring in Las Vegas in April, four HME providers offered their thoughts on how to build a successful retail model. Give the people what they want While the traditional HME model has long been to assume the customer can't or won't pay for anything when insurance might, changes...

2019, Medtrade, Retail


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Providers

Reporter's notebook: Cash customer? ABN still gold standard

May 31, 2019Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor

With more and more providers switching their focus from Medicare to cash sales, it's unsurprising that there's occasional confusion about whether an advance beneficiary notice is needed. HME News recently received an email from a small DME supplier that has not billed Medicare in four years and recently learned they still needed to complete ABNs for all Medicare beneficiaries. “We have people come into our business that have Medicare but are choosing to pay out of pocket because...

Advance Beneficiary Notice (ABN), Home Medical Equipment (HME)


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Providers

Agile Medical taps broader respiratory market

May 31, 2019Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor

WEST BERLIN, N.J. - With its new online store, The Oxygen Concentrator Supplies Shop, Agile Medical aims to repeat the success of The CPAP Shop for oxygen and asthma treatment, says CEO and Founder Tony Zadnik.“We've grown consistently each year (with The CPAP Shop), and even more in the past three to five years,” said Zadnik. “We want provide a convenient, accessible way for customers to get the products they want. We really see oxygen and asthma as an untapped market.”The...

Agile Medical, The Oxygen Concentrator Supplies Shop


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