Tag: Delivery
Survey: Cost of doing business puts pressure on providers
May 12, 2022HME News Staff
WATERLOO, Iowa – The cost of delivering home medical equipment continues to rise, according to the results of a new survey from VGM & Associates.
The survey of nearly 100 HME providers in eight regions of the U.S. looked at the increase in cost of goods, employee wages and freight, as well as cost of delivery per mile, PPE and average wages.
“While I suspected the various costs and related factors in securing appropriate HME delivery services would increase –...
VGM: Delivery costs increase
March 10, 2021HME News Staff
WATERLOO, Iowa – The cost of delivering home medical equipment has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the results of new survey from VGM.
The survey of nearly 100 medical equipment providers in eight regions of the U.S. looked at vehicle cost per trip; PPE expense; labor expense per hour; and time of travel, equipment set-up and instruction, and equipment pickup.
In the Great Lakes region, for example, the average delivery...
Apria Healthcare responds to wildfires
November 8, 2019HME News Staff
LAKE FOREST, Calif. - Apria Healthcare has launched a mobilized effort to deliver critical equipment to its patients in California, where wildfires continue to plague much of the state.
The provider says its employees have been working around the clock to ensure equipment like oxygen tanks are being delivered. Last week alone, they made more than 20,000 deliveries, with trucks set up in strategic locations to help distribute equipment to patients being evacuated from their homes.
“Our...
Southwest Medical receives award
June 28, 2019HME News Staff
LAS VEGAS - Southwest Medical, part of OptumCare, has been named one of the winners of the annual Intalere Healthcare Achievement Awards, according to Nevada Business Magazine. Southwest Medical, specifically its Southwest Medical Pharmacy & Home Medical Equipment division and its Pharmacy Transitions of Care Program, was recognized in the Quality/Patient Care Delivery and/or Patient Satisfaction category. Intalere, a healthcare services company, recognizes its members for their outstanding and innovative...
VGM tallies costs by region
August 7, 2018HME News Staff
WATERLOO, Iowa - The VGM Group has released the results of a “Delivery Cost Survey” that puts into perspective how costly it is for HME providers to provide patients with the necessary equipment.
In New England, for example, providers report that it costs them $22.43 in vehicle costs per delivery and $18 in labor costs per hour, according to the survey. When you take into account the 23.33 miles from business to home and the 31.67 minutes it takes for in-home set up, that's an...
Delivery system in jeopardy, new white paper shows
August 15, 2017HME News Staff
WATERLOO, Iowa - U.S. Rehab, a division of the VGM Group, has released a white paper analyzing the current state of the DME industry. The paper, “The Delivery of DMEPOS is in Jeopardy,” provides a data-driven perspective on the adverse effects of competitive bidding on both patients and providers of DME, complex rehab and O&P. “If the current issues with reimbursement are not addressed, irreparable harm will be done to this delivery system,” said Greg Packer, president of...
Human Resources: Find adaptable drivers
May 23, 2016Melissa Seitz
A. We hear that phrase all too often. A person seeking employment will simply see “driving experience or delivery experience” and think, I can do that, I can drive and I know the area.
But our medical equipment technicians, or “METs” as we call them, are responsible for not only delivering equipment to homes or facilities. They are also responsible for set up, education and troubleshooting. Being able to deliver a product is not nearly enough for us to hire an MET. Candidates...
Rotech automates fleet delivery
March 8, 2016HME News Staff
ORLANDO, Fla. - Rotech Healthcare has selected the cloud-based Route Planner on-demand solution from Descartes to automate planning, dispatch and data collection processes for its fleet delivering medical equipment and services. “As the current tide of healthcare reform adds more margin pressure to the HME industry, we are making significant technology investments to increase efficiency and drive down unnecessary logistics costs without sacrificing high quality service for our customers,”...
VGM creates cost calculator as part of bid fight
August 21, 2015HME News Staff
WATERLOO, Iowa - The VGM Group has created a delivery cost calculator to help show Congress and CMS that rural areas will take a significant hit in 2016 if competitive bidding pricing is applied nationwide. VGM is asking HME providers to fill out and submit delivery cost calculator forms. The group will file the data it receives by state and send it to the appropriate members of Congress. Questions that VGM hopes to answer with the data include: Does CMS realize how much it costs to deliver medical...
Delivery driver saves man, daughter from river
May 8, 2015Tracy Orzel
ROCHESTER, Minn. - As a delivery driver for Corner Medical, Jeremy Severson is used to keeping his eyes on the road. Thankfully, on the day he rescued a man and his young daughter from drowning, he didn't.
While driving to the zoo on a recent day off with his mother, Severson spotted a car in the Zumbro River.
“I didn't think anything of it at the time,” said Severson.
Nonetheless, he still made a left-hand turn to investigate. That's when he heard someone pounding...