Archive: July 2012
Vendors in the news: Harmar Mobility, The MED Group
July 31, 2012HME News Staff
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Cortec Group, a New York-based private equity fund, has acquired Harmar Mobility, according to a press release from Harris Williams & Co., an investment bank that advised Harmar. The transaction closed July 20. “This transaction is evidence of the strong interest that continues in the sector, driven by investors' desire to find scalable business models in a growing market that is positioned to benefit from positive demographic trends, as well as increasing utilization...
Invacare: HME 'in a good place'
July 27, 2012Liz Beaulieu, Editor
ELYRIA, Ohio - Invacare officials, during the company's annual media day last week, offered both pep talk and tough talk on the HME industry's prospects.Carl Will, senior vice president, global commercial operations, kicked off the day with this reminder targeted toward providers: “The products that are mundane to us—I make my living in raised toilet seats—is the reason why we can get our loved ones out of facilities and into their homes.”“It's easy to lose sight of...
PMD demo: CMS may change stance on accessories
July 27, 2012Elizabeth Deprey
WASHINGTON - The newest draft version of an operations guide for the power mobility device (PMD) demonstration project includes a word providers have been hoping to see: accessories.A note in the guide, "Accessories: reserved for future use," which is listed with the PMD codes that will be included in the demo, is a placeholder, CMS officials stated during an Open Door Forum July 27."At this point in time, we have not made a decision," said Doris Jackson, a health insurance specialist at CMS, during...
Do you know who you are?
July 27, 2012Liz Beaulieu, Editor
I got a good reminder, during Invacare Media Day this week, that “image is everything.”
(Don't even pretend you don't remember the Andre Agassi/Canon commercial that brought that quote into the world!)
As part of media day, Lou Slangen told us how much Invacare and its image have changed over the years. Let's just say, in 1979 this was how the company described what it did: “Making products for invalids.” Today: “Making life's experiences possible.”
These conjure...
National Sleep Therapy knows the score
July 27, 2012Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
CONCORD, N.H. - Just because a patient is using a CPAP machine every night, doesn't mean he benefits from it, says Eric Cohen, president of National Sleep Therapy (NST).So the provider developed a “CPAP outcome score,” which combines both objective device data like usage, and subjective patient data like whether the patient is feeling better.“If we just look at the hour usage it doesn't always paint a complete picture of CPAP therapy impact or efficacy,” said Cohen. “We...
NewsPoll: What's the value of a local presence?
July 27, 2012Elizabeth Deprey
YARMOUTH, Maine - Eighty-seven percent of providers who responded to a recent HME NewsPoll reported that competitive bidding has de-emphasized the importance of having a local presence.That's bad news for patients and referral sources, who, an overwhelming majority of providers say, value a local presence."Patients want to have someone in their community who cares," says John Kamsickas, an ATP at Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Home Health Depot.Lincare's CEO announced recently that the company plans to...
Power mobility: Get support, sell the 'a-ha'
July 27, 2012John Andrews
With capped rentals, audits and competitive bidding severely curtailing cash flow and sales opportunities, HME providers need help to withstand the challenging power mobility market. In response, the vendor community has developed a series of programs to serve as a financial lifeline for those impacted by industry changes.By working more closely with their provider customers, vendors say that together they can forge new strategies to ease the cash pinch and increase the viability of the business.For...
Gas prices keep biz from further growth
July 27, 2012Elizabeth Deprey
ELMHURST, Ill. - High gas prices have serious consequences for HME providers, Phil Kerr told the House Small Business Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax and Capital Access June 25. Kerr, president of Elmhurst, Ill.-based Home Medical Express, recently told HME News why gas prices and competitive bidding are putting the industry in a tough position.HME News: What has been your experience with rising fuel prices?Phil Kerr: In 2009 my fuel costs were $126,000; they were $247,000 last year. My business...
Accessibility
July 27, 2012HME News Staff
Q. How can I sell “accessibility”?A. Traditionally, marketing is product-driven and is “push” communication. Being an accessibility provider and offering solutions for your customers to live independently brings an opportunity for you to approach your marketing efforts differently. Accessibility engages you with your customers on an intimate level. Your expertise and knowledge is your opportunity to greatly increase your customer satisfaction and referrals. It's not about...
Invacare's earnings slide
July 27, 2012Liz Beaulieu, Editor
ELYRIA, Ohio - Invacare officials say a number of pressures drove a net loss of $1.98 million for the second quarter this year compared to net earnings of $10.66 million for the same period last year.Chief among them: a U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) investigation, which cost Invacare $7 million in remediation efforts in the second quarter alone and which continues to divert internal resources away from new product introductions; and CMS's pending announcement of Round 2 contracts, which has...