Smart Talk

Q. How can partnering with manufacturers help HME providers reduce risk and manage costs?  A. In the HME industry, managing costs and minimizing risks are critical for long-term success. One of the most effective ways to achieve both is by forming strong partnerships with manufacturers. By working closely with manufacturers, HME providers can streamline operations, improve cash flow and enhance patient care. When assessing potential partnership with a manufacturer, the following are important...

Q. How do I simplify serialized inventory?   A. Serialized inventory is common in our industry, but it often proves more complex than it should be. Why is that? Depending on your business model, serialized inventory transactions can account for a significant portion of your company’s reconciliation tasks. While billing system requirements contribute to the complexity, many issues stem from areas we can control—specifically, serial number identification and item location management...

Q. How can I scale my DME business without overworking my team or hiring more staff?  A. Scaling a DME business traditionally means hiring more intake specialists, billers and administrative staff to handle increasing order volumes. But with staffing shortages and high turnover rates, we know that’s not a sustainable option. AI-powered automation offers an alternative—allowing you to grow without overburdening your existing team or expanding payroll.  New AI tools...

Q. Do you have any key strategies to optimize working with Medicare Advantage plans?  A. Here a few recommendations that apply to navigating not only MAP plans but all insurances:  Evaluate your order cycle process: Implement a comprehensive strategy to review the entire order cycle from intake to final payment. Address root causes such as inefficient intake processes, lack of knowledge about payer policies and duplicate processes. Train customer service teams to identify...

Q. What is on the horizon for connectivity and remote patient monitoring for PAP and ventilator devices?  A. Imagine being able to analyze and affect a change in a patient’s care, not just for the moment they are in front of you in a single clinical visit, but to become truly adherent to therapy life-long. The future of connectivity and remote patient monitoring (RPM) for PAP devices and ventilators is poised for significant advancements. With rapid technological developments,...

Q. How should I organize inventory to improve workflow?  A. "Why can't we confirm our orders faster? Or more specifically, why is there no inventory available at my location to confirm my order?"  Sound familiar? Of course, it does. From my own experience and conversations with many providers, these are common frustrations. Believe it or not, sometimes these workflow bottlenecks stem from the way inventory is set up in your billing system. In practice, we typically categorize...

Q. I’m implementing AI solutions in my DME business - how can this improve relationships with payers?  A. Credibility is the foundation of the partnership between your DME business and payers. AI-driven solutions reinforce this and build trust by reducing errors and ensuring smoother communication.    On the intake side, AI enhances this trust by detecting errors before submission - this significantly reduces denied claims, which are burdensome on both your team and the...

Q. How can we strategically plan for the continued growth of Medicare Advantage Plans?  A. The average Medicare beneficiary has 43 MAPs to choose from. More than 54% of beneficiaries participate in a MAP, and this is expected to grow to 61% by 2032. Why? MAPs are using celebrities to entice Medicare beneficiaries. Have you ever bought something after seeing an infomercial, a viral video or a TikTok, only to be disappointed that the “item” wasn’t quite as shiny as they made...

Q. With the rapid changes in respiratory and sleep medicine, what can an HME provider expect from their manufacturing partners?   A. HME companies may need reassessment of their partnerships with manufacturers. Here’s a framework to guide this process:  Quality & compliance  Ensure manufacturing partners comply with FDA, ISO and CE standards. Review FDA 510K status for any restrictions or outstanding recalls. Robust quality assessment and post-market surveillance...

Q. What is inventory management and why is it important?  A. Inventory management is the process of overseeing a company’s stock of goods, including ordering, storing and selling products, with the goal of balancing inventory levels to meet customer demand, while avoiding overstock or stockouts. For HME providers, this also includes managing product states, compliance with accreditation and licensing, recalls and billing system inventory rules. Most HME providers use billing systems...