home medical equipment

ATLANTA - What are the lessons learned from Round 1 of competitive bidding? Be accurate and be timely, says Mark Higley, vice president of development for The VGM Group.

ATLANTA - With the elimination of Medicare's least costly alternative option earlier this year, CMS is now denying claims instead of downcoding them. This development makes the advanced beneficiary notice (ABN) option more critical than ever for HME providers, says consultant Andrea Stark.

CONCORD, N.H. - HME providers here got no resolution when they met with Medicaid officials in September to discuss potential reimbursement cuts.

YARMOUTH, Maine - Industry stakeholders have ramped up efforts to get beneficiaries involved in the fight against competitive bidding.

LOS ANGELES - Provider Steve Welch has gone from a storefront with 1,000 products to a web-based business offering more than 10,000 products.

WETUMPKA, Ala. - Provider Peter Czapla is trying a different approach to attract new referral sources: selling scrubs.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - With 15 years and more than 500 deals under its belt, VR Business Sales, Mergers & Acquisitions has built a reputation for selling businesses in the Carolinas. Among the company's recent sales were Penrod Medical Equipment in July and Lake Norman Medical in August. Owner Jay Offerdahl recently spoke with HME News about buying and selling in the HME arena.

Cutting costs isn't just about eliminating products or people, says Miriam Lieber, president of Lieber Consulting. It's also about tackling business operations. Two of the biggest problem areas: wasted time and uncollected receivables. Fortunately, improving one can improve the other, she said.

YARMOUTH, Maine - It's the economy, stupid.
It's also competitive bidding, reduced reimbursements and increased costs of doing business that have providers taking a hard look at their businesses. Some have had to lay off long-time employees.

IRVING, Texas - When it comes to reducing hospital readmissions, communication between hospitals and homecare providers will play a key role. But a recent survey of respiratory therapists reveals they have a long way to go.