Tag: HME NewsPoll

It seems all any of us in the HME industry can talk about these days is in-person events (We are, after all, at the time of this writing, still waiting for the DMEPOS final rule; otherwise, that might be the dominant talking point). Will in-person events happen? Will people go to them? Certainly by July, the time of the industry’s first planned in-person event – Medtrade West, July 12-14 at the Phoenix Convention Center – all those who want to be vaccinated will be vaccinated,...

YARMOUTH, Maine – More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, HME providers, like many businesses, have adapted to new ways of doing business and many of those changes will become permanent, say respondents to a recent HME Newspoll.  Nearly three-quarters of respondents say they plan to make certain changes permanent, including offering drop-shipping or curbside pick-up of equipment.  “In the past, we would do curbside if a customer asked,”...

YARMOUTH, Maine – Eighty-six percent of respondents to a recent HME Newspoll say they’re running low on oxygen concentrators, and 88% say they're having difficulty obtaining more.  “Hospitals are full and discharging (COVID-19) patients to complete their recovery with home oxygen therapy,” wrote one respondent. “We are struggling to keep up with the supply and demand due to long delays in shipping of ordered products.”  The...

YARMOUTH, Maine - The majority of non-contract suppliers who responded to a recent HME Newspoll (60%) say they won't try to pick up Medicare business starting Jan. 1, 2019.In a recent proposed rule, CMS outlined its plans to implement an “any willing provider” provision when the current competitive bidding contracts expire, allowing any Medicare-enrolled provider to serve beneficiaries while it overhauls the program.“I will choose to not service Medicare patients because Medicare's...

YARMOUTH, Maine - Managed care organizations targeting single-source or preferred provider contracts to provide DME and supplies for Medicaid recipients is a trend that's spreading across the country, according to the results of a recent HME Newspoll.Fifty percent of respondents to the poll report that an MCO in their state has successfully implemented such a contract, and 61% report an MCO in their state is in the process of moving to such a contract.“Providers were not involved or asked...

Well, Theresa and Tracy, we had a good run. Before now, we've been basking in the glow of having three recent HME Newspolls with more than 100 respondents. In the August issue, our readers had plenty to say about whether or not they've stopped taking assignment on certain products this year (148 respondents); in the September issue, they had plenty to say about how Medicare pricing has impacted Medicaid and third-party payer pricing in their states (114 respondents); and in the October issue, they...

YARMOUTH, Maine - If you use accounts receivable (A/R) to paint a picture of the financial health of HME providers, what you see doesn't look very good, according to the results of the latest HME Newspoll.A majority of the 46 respondents to the poll—55%—said the portion of their A/R that is at least 60 days old was larger at the end of 2013 than it was at the end of 2012.“Audits and delay tactics by all payers are driving up our A/R beyond a reasonable level,” said one respondent.In...

YARMOUTH, Maine - Despite reimbursement cuts and heavy audits by insurers, the revenue mix of HME providers isn't as diversified as you'd expect, according to the results of a recent HME NewsPoll. The largest percentage of respondents to the poll (40%) say they continue to rely on insurance—including Medicare, Medicaid, private-pay, etc.—for 76% to 100% of their revenues.“We've had a slight increase in retail, but mostly, we've just stayed the same for 15 years,” said...

YARMOUTH, Maine - Long delays have made appealing denied claims a painful process for HME providers, forcing them to wait sometimes years for payment.Nearly all of the 120 respondents to the December HME NewsPoll (91%) say they have one or more appeals awaiting a hearing with an administrative law judge (ALJ), the third level of appeal. Forty-one percent of respondents say they've already been waiting at least a year.“Many of these claims are showing up as open invoices on our books and presenting...

YARMOUTH, Maine - As CMS's competitive bidding program drives reimbursement rates down, providers are debating the value of quality versus cost. Half of the 109 respondents to a recent HME Newspoll said quality trumps cost. They said providing a poor-quality product is more expensive in the long run.But the other half of respondents said they can't justify providing costlier, higher-quality products under competitive bidding.“Obviously, with changes in reimbursement, one cannot provide...