Archive: October 2007
Is the Next big thing 'transitional mobility'?
October 31, 2007HME News Staff
CANTON, Mich.- If Don Leith has anything to say about it, the next big thing in wheelchairs will be his company, Next Mobility, which debuted its line of "transitional mobility" products at Medtrade this year.
"If a consumer orders a rigid lightweight manual chair and a few years later wants a power assist, he can order the kit," said Leith, Next CEO. "Then, if later in life he decides he wants to go from power assist to full power, we'll have a kit available where he can plug in a joy stick and...
Auction targets CPAP
October 31, 2007HME News Staff
HOUSTON - Move over eBay. There's a new online auction site in cyberspace. CPAPAuction.com--launched in September--offers patients and providers a place to buy and sell new and used CPAP equipment. In its first 30 days, the site received 40,800 hits.
"Patients were swapping equipment on support forums and asking where they could sell equipment," said Johnny Goodman, general manager of parent company US Expediters, which also includes CPAP.com and CPAPtalk.com.
The site works much like other auction...
Majors becomes 'retail-oriented'
October 31, 2007HME News Staff
TOPSHAM, Maine - Majors Mobility plans to ramp up advertising for its retail products, says Tyrrell Hunter, president. "We've been in retail since 1999, but we're becoming--not more aggressive--more retail-oriented," she said. "We're starting a more organized advertising effort. Before, it was, 'Let's do this and try that.' Now we're starting a real advertising campaign." Rather than focus on power wheelchairs, Majors plans to use more general ads publicizing all products. It already does some TV...
Rehab's 'on pins and needles'
October 31, 2007HME News Staff
YARMOUTH, Maine - As documentation and pricing changes for power mobility devices continue to tighten their grip, several smaller providers have told HME News that they've closed their doors or put their businesses up for sale. Others continue to downsize.
One rehab provider with "several hundred accounts" shuttered his business last month after 25 years. He cited Medicare's 27% cut, on average, to PMD reimbursement and its trickle-down effect on Medicaid reimbursement as reasons for his decision....
Providers look for sweet spots: sleep, mobility...
October 31, 2007HME News Staff
Sleep therapy and power mobility products top the list of items driving revenue growth for those HMEs fortunate enough to be growing these days. Additionally, respondents to the October HME NewsPoll reported that the failure of nearby providers is, not surprisingly, a boon to them.
"We are seeing more of our competition dropping out," said one anonymous NewsPoll respondent. "The lack of PMD revenue along with the drop in respiratory drugs, and other factors are leading many (HMEs) to no longer service...
Rehab council wins battle, not war
October 31, 2007HME News Staff
AUSTIN, Texas - A council of rehab providers in Texas has convinced the state's Medicaid program to make "significant" adjustments to the reimbursement rates for power wheelchairs.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission now pays comparable rates to Medicare, said Tom Hafford, secretary/treasurer of the Greater Texas Rehab Providers' Council (TXRPC).
"That's a significant increase, when you consider, before, we were below the Medicare allowable by 10% to 15%," said Hafford, president of Mobility...
Enos: 'We're out and about'
October 31, 2007HME News Staff
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. - Ask General Manager Richard O'Berry what's new at Enos Home Oxygen Therapy, and he'll tell you, "We're out and about." Boy, is that an understatement.
Over the summer, the provider held a Sleep Awareness Day and a Wheelchair Wash for the first time. It also nabbed a contract to provide HME to members of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. Additionally, in October, as part of a local United Way project, Enos Home employees harvested crops that they planted in June and donated them to...
Noridian updates neb-med billing instructions
October 31, 2007HME News Staff
FARGO, N.D. - Noridian Administrative Services, the Jurisdiction D MAC, clarified its billing instructions for certain respiratory medications. For Q4093, the concentrated form of albuterol and levalbuterol, no modifier is needed, while the unit dose form of both drugs, Q4094, needs a KO modifier. For any unit dose form of a nebulizer drug, the KO modifier must be submitted. If the drug code is billed without a modifier or is billed with a KP or KQ modifier, the claim will be rejected or denied....
Define measurable goals for employee success
October 31, 2007HME News Staff
Q. How do I align my business goals and staff incentives properly?
A. Frequently, company incentive programs (if they exist) do not support and reward goal achievement. In order to build a "high margin" patient base, the first step is to determine profitability by product line and payer. Once those targets have been established, it is important to be certain that everyone in the company understands these priorities and to develop a marketing strategy with a laser-like focus on generating patient...
Look who's selling their business
October 31, 2007Mike Moran
The M&A market for home medical equipment companies may be in the doldrums, but that doesn't mean no one is trying to sell their company. Check out BizQuest.com. Baby Mama download
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Grindin' move
Mean Girls rip The Internet site specializes in selling businesses and lists 57 durable medical equipment companies for sale. For each listing, you’ll find the name of the company, it’s location, asking price, revenue and more. For example, Medical Supply, Respiratory Drugs &...