Archive: September 2019
Exhibitors emphasize health, strength
September 30, 2019John Andrews
ATLANTA — Given that Medtrade is an exposition for healthcare providers, it seems natural that health and strength would be predominant themes among exhibitors in 2019. For the industry's purposes, these terms refer to the fiscal and operational outlook for HME companies, as well as determined advocacy on Capitol Hill.
For instance, at Irving, Texas-based McKesson, the Medtrade booth theme is “Stronger Together,” which emphasizes the significance of unity within the industry,...
Five insider tips for Medtrade
September 30, 2019Guest Commentary
ATLANTA - Whether you're a first time Medtrade attendee or a show veteran, it's tempting to wing it and wander the show floor without a plan. However, when this year's Medtrade convenes at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta on Oct 21-23, 2019, it's best to prepare.
Leave room for flexibility, but don't get off the plane (or out of the car) without thinking about which exhibitors you want to see, what product categories you covet, and what extra events might maximize...
Our work never stops
September 30, 2019Guest Commentary
The bids are in for Round 2021. Now the HME community will wait until sometime next summer to see the prices set through the bidding process and a final announcement of contracted suppliers in the fall of 2020. The uncertainty as to how Medicare reimbursement rates will shake out presents business planning challenges for every segment of the HME sector, whether a company is in a bidding area or in a non-bid/rural area using bidding-derived pricing. The results will also impact rates from the spectrum...
Jackson Medical Supply celebrates 20 years in biz
September 30, 2019Tracy Orzel
VACAVILLE, Calif. - When Wendy Jackson opened Jackson Medical Supply with her husband in 1999, they were the only game in town. Twenty years later, they still are. "We started the business because there was a need in Solano County and in the Vacaville area, which at the time was a little less than 100,000 people,” she said. “They didn't have any local DME companies.”The couple started slowly, selling shower chairs, pillows, and wound care products out of their...
Enos narrows down business
September 30, 2019Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. - Enos Home Medical has been shedding businesses for the past year, making hospice its main business today.
Enos recently sold its sleep therapy business to Sandwich, Mass.-based Cape Medical Supply; in 2018, it sold its ventilation therapy business to Norwood, Mass.-based Reliable Respiratory.
“Ten or 15 years ago, we were a one-stop shop, but when competitive bidding and the 36-month oxygen cap came in we started taking a closer look at different lines of business,”...
Speaker spotlight: Culture comes from leadership
September 30, 2019Tracy Orzel
ATLANTA - Every company has a culture, whether they realize it or not, and those with stronger cultures are typically better performers, says Sharon Bock, director of marketing at Allegiance Group. HME News recently spoke to Bock and Bruce Gehring, senior vice president of business development at Allegiance, who are co-hosting a session at Medtrade called “Creating a Culture to Improve Collections" about the different types of culture and how they can be improved.
HME News: So what exactly...
Financial outsourcing: Check your business pulse
September 30, 2019Katherine Kinley
A. When was the last time you based strategic business decisions on reliable, quantifiable financial data that you were confident in? If you are not making data-driven decisions daily, outsourcing this critical function is the fastest way to make a gap a point of strength.After 10 years of working with healthcare businesses—from assessing financial performance for credit worthiness to equipping them with finance/accounting horsepower—I continuously come across decision-makers who lack...
Risk Management: Be proactive with rental equipment
September 30, 2019Adam Miller
A. It's a common practice for HME providers to rent equipment to their patients. The arrangement works out well, for the most part. The patient doesn't have to pay the full price of their device up front, and the provider gains a steady source of recurring revenue. It's win-win. Unfortunately, this arrangement exposes providers to certain risks that their insurance policy may not always cover.What happens, for example, if a patient passes away while in possession of your expensive equipment? Their...
NRRTS registrant 'kickstarts' interest in Canada
September 30, 2019Liz Beaulieu, Editor
REGINA, Saskatchewan - Jason Kelln, the first NRRTS CRTS in Canada, gave a poster presentation at the recent Canadian Seating and Mobility Conference in Toronto on the merits of certification in complex rehab.Kelln, the sales manager for PrairieHeart Mobility based here, is one of just 28 RESNA ATPs in the country and is working to become just the fourth SMS there.“When I started to work on the presentation, I was just shocked how few people are certified,” he said. “To me, we're...
Serial entrepreneurs: Stevens, Burns make another run at supplies
September 30, 2019Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
BUFORD, Ga. - Having already built one successful business, the team behind UroStat Healthcare hopes to repeat their winning formula for a second time.Craig Stevens, UroStat's CEO, and Bert Burns, part owner, previously worked together at UroMed, which Burns founded in 1996 and sold to AssuraMed in early 2014. At the time of its sale, UroMed served 7,000 patients in 48 states.UroStat, which marked its first year in business in July, offers catheters, ostomy and incontinence supplies, and accepts...