Medtrade Show Daily
Medtrade sees ‘growth in show’s trajectory’
March 29, 2023Liz Beaulieu, Editor
DALLAS – Medtrade’s new once-a-year format and new hometown are such a hit that the show will have an even larger footprint in 2024, says Show Director York Schwab.
Medtrade has already decided to rent additional space in Hall E in the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center for next year’s show, he says.
“There’s been a sizable increase in attendance and a considerably larger exhibitor presence – and that’s with coming off a show in October,”...
Networking, technology take center stage at AAHomecare update
March 29, 2023Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
DALLAS – As the saying goes, it takes a village and that was nowhere more evident than at the AAHomecare Update at Medtrade, where a panel of HME leaders shared their insights on everything from advocacy to reimbursement to e-prescribing.
The Wednesday afternoon session – a new time and format – featured Bill Guidetti of Apria, Josh Marx of Medical Service Company and Ryan Bullock of Aeroflow.
“It’s important to have a strong advocate in Washington,...
The ‘struggle’ is real: Where does HME belong in value-based care?
March 29, 2023Liz Beaulieu, Editor
DALLAS – Value-based care is a term that has been tossed around in health care for a while now, yet it’s still in the “early stages,” especially when it comes to the role of HME providers, said panelists during a session at Medtrade on Tuesday.
“You’re not the only ones struggling to define this,” said Allen Hunt, president of Hart Home Medical Equipment, a health-system owned, full-line HME provider based in Grand Blanc, Mich. “Health systems...
M&A: Get your stories straight
March 29, 2023Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
DALLAS – While uncertainty in the broader economy has caused a slowdown in M&A, when buyers and sellers know what they want, deals are getting done, said experts at Medtrade on Tuesday.
“Why do you want to transact?” asked Brad Smith, managing director/partner at Vertess. “Why do you want to buy or sell? (If you’re selling), give a buyer enough information so they can make an educated decision. Make it a conversation. Have calls; get to know these people.”
Smith...
Hot topic: The evolution of HME automation
March 29, 2023John Andrews
DALLAS – Technology can be daunting, especially when it comes to leveraging its myriad functions, applications and operations, which is why Medtrade made it a focus of the educational program this year.
“Providers need to approach technology with an understanding of what they are trying to solve,” said Bruce Gehring, senior vice president of business development for Overland Park, Kan.-based Allegiance Group. “They need to know what their current performance is and...
A trade show, and an industry, readies to evolve
October 25, 2022Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
ATLANTA – Medtrade East provided the perfect opportunity for attendees to shake off the troubles of past years and build back their businesses, says Show Director York Schwab.
“I always tell people to be ready, when you come to Medtrade, to find something that is going to make a material impact on your business and be open to finding that,” he said. “Maybe it’s meeting someone new or finding a product you are not currently offering or learning something new...
Pressure builds to advance reimbursement relief
October 25, 2022Liz Beaulieu, Editor
ATLANTA – A small group of HME stakeholders is scheduled to meet with Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., on Wednesday for a “last good push” to get H.R. 6441 attached to a larger bill prior to the end of the year, Jay Witter said during the AAHomecare Update at Medtrade on Tuesday.
Jay Witter, senior vice president of public policy for AAHomecare, along with John Gallagher of VGM Government Relations and Seth Johnson of Pride Mobility Products, are meeting with Guthrie, who is...
Audits: ‘It’s not fair, but it’s the reality’
October 25, 2022Theresa Flaherty, Managing Editor
ATLANTA – The government has gotten much better at analyzing data for evidence of fraud, so HME providers need to be sure they are maintaining a culture of compliance.
That was a main takeaway during “Understanding How the Government Uses Audits to Bring Fraud Investigations” at Medtrade on Monday.
“(The Center for Program Integrity) is currently tracking all claims,” said Josh Skora, a partner with the law firm K&L Gates. “Once they have aberrant...
'You need live data’
October 25, 2022Liz Beaulieu, Editor
ATLANTA – HME providers desperately need to collect and crunch data in real time to reduce hotspots in their businesses, speakers Kit Shellhouse and Bruce Gehring told Medtrade East attendees on Monday.
And doing so doesn’t have to require a fancy program or a big investment – pie charts derived from data in an Excel spreadsheet work just fine, said ACU-Serve’s Shellhouse, so long as it can be updated regularly, and it can be shared.
“Whatever it is,...
In brief: Jim Walsh named Homecare Champion, Jo-Ellen Reed retires, product debuts
October 25, 2022HME News Staff
ATLANTA – Jim Walsh, chairman of the board for the VGM Group, was named the 2022 Van Miller Homecare Champion at the AAHomecare Update at Medtrade East on Tuesday. Tom Ryan, president and CEO of AAHomecare, said Walsh was “a driving force” in making sure that AAHomecare and VGM work as partners to elevate the HME industry. Jeremy Stolz, president of VGM & Associates, was on hand at the update to accept the award on Walsh’s behalf. Prior to the update, Stolz asked Walsh if...