Chaos meets opportunity at the Summit

There has arguably never been a more chaotic time in the HME industry.

The industry already had Round 2021 of national competitive bidding on the docket for this year, in terms of CMS announcing single payment amounts this summer and contract suppliers this fall. But it's been the external pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic that have turned even our own little sector of health care upside down.

The two together have made the industry spin.

Will CMS pause the bid program? Even if it does pause the bid program, how long will the agency pause it? What happens after the pause? Will CMS stick to the bids that were submitted more than a year ago?

Will the blended reimbursement rates that have been extended in rural areas and introduced in non-rural areas for the duration of the public health emergency die along with COVID-19?

It's against this backdrop that we'll virtually gather for this year's HME News Business Summit, Sept. 15-17.

The Summit has always been about thought leaders—both in the speakers who present, and the providers who attend. But this year, hearing that speaker and embodying that provider is more important than ever.

It's three days to hear an epidemiologist talk about the pandemic speeding up the use of technology in rural areas, areas that providers struggle to serve. To hear top execs from the industry's public companies talk about their predictions for the home oxygen, sleep therapy and mobility markets. To hear top execs from the industry's national companies talk about post-acute care's climb up the health care ladder. To hear investors talk about their crystal-ball takes on everything from the pandemic, to the election and to the bid program.

It's heavy stuff. And not necessarily stuff that will affect a provider's day-to-day business. It won't answer the question: How should I prepare my claims for the next Medicare audit?

It's even better, actually - it's the stuff that will allow a provider to see the industry and their business in a different way. And that's the stuff that often needs reviewing and reshaping.

So in a few short weeks, join us at the Summit. Make sense of the chaos. Find the opportunity.