Providers prepare for ‘onslaught’

YARMOUTH, Maine – Weather events like hurricanes and tornadoes are happening more frequently and are stressing cash-strapped HME providers and an already fragile delivery system, say the majority of respondents to a recent HME Newspoll. 

About 76% of respondents report being in an area affected by weather events and of those about 64% report these events are happening more frequently. The biggest impact on their operations: Increases in costs like labor and gas. 

“Patients have unrealistic expectations (related to) power outages,” wrote Erin Dolan of Med-Essentials in New Hartford, Conn. “(They expect) to rely on backup (oxygen) tanks for days and that we will deliver replacements at excessive frequency. We try to educate them that they need to have a backup plan (generator, alternate location), but with each storm, we expect an onslaught of tank orders. We also spend a lot of time making calls to home-based patients to reexplain battery backup in hospital beds – how long patients can remain on an air mattress, etc.” 

AAHomecare recently asked providers to share how they go above and beyond to ensure their customers continue to receive vital equipment and services during weather events. 

Increased awareness of the role providers play in making sure patients remain safe and healthy during and after weather events could help to address lack of reimbursement and other support. All respondents – 100% - report that Medicare and other insurers aren’t doing enough in that area. 

“It would be nice to have a procedure code for ‘emergency call due to weather-related event,’” wrote one respondent. “This was never part of the ‘normal cost of doing business’ and, thus, was never factored into reimbursement.” 

Added another respondent: “There’s no additional reimbursement when we are delivering tanks after hours to rural patients who have lost power due to storms. (It) would be nice if it was billable.” 

Other impacts on providers from weather events include delays in product and service delivery (about 8%) and a reduction in employee availability (about 17%). 

“When we are hit by a hurricane, we are unable to get staff here and sometimes are limited by Internet access due to Internet provider line damage,” wrote one respondent. “Our staff cannot make it into work, and we have to prioritize our deliveries by emergency only.” 

• Share stories of how you go above and beyond during weather events by emailing Ashley Plauché, AAHomecare’s senior director of brand marketing, at ashleyp@aahomecare.org.