Archive: May 2019

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...

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...

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...

A. HME providers see patients daily that currently use or may benefit from hemp products. These types of suppliers are proving to be a valuable resource to the patients they serve. In an environment containing a wide variety of options, these types of customers rely on their trusted healthcare providers in selecting the solution that best fits their needs. Quality, concentration, and transparency are among the key considerations when selecting a hemp brand with which to align.Passing of the 2018...

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...

Driven by growing consumer demand, portable oxygen concentrators are becoming more mainstream in the HME industry. And not only are the devices becoming the preferred modality for consumers, they are also being increasingly embraced by physicians and other respiratory clinicians, oxygen market observers say.There are various reasons for the burgeoning growth, but the dominant force seems to be high consumer demand. Patients want these units, said Frank Lazzaro, director of global product management...

PORTLAND, Ore. - As a leading advocate of the repair industry, Matthew Macpherson, ATP, is pleased that tech training and certification had an even bigger presence at the International Seating Symposium this year.But ISS, March 20-22 in Pittsburgh, is only one of many pieces that Macpherson is trying to put in place to advance the tech profession. Macpherson, director of FIOS DME Repair Training and a member of the executive oversight board of directors of The DMERT Group, which certifies repair...

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...

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 they don't want...

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 wantWhile the traditional HME model has long been to assume the customer can't or won't pay for anything when insurance might, changes in payer policies that place more of...