Special Report

CHICAGO - Dwindling choices and conflicting information about diabetes supplies available under the national mail-order program will have long-term ramifications for beneficiaries, says a new survey from the American Association of Diabetes Educators. “Diabetes testing systems and supplies are the cornerstone of patient self-management,” said Kurt Anderson, AADE director of federal and state advocacy. “It's just such a cost effective way to treat diabetes and, in particular,...

Editor's note: This is the second in a series of stories about how the HME industry is forging a new identity. Click here to read the previous story.ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Geneva Woods is navigating some rugged terrain in its quest for success. And that's not a reference to the pharmacy provider's service territory, which includes vast swaths of wilderness in Alaska, Montana and Wyoming.Based in Anchorage, the company combines pharmacy, infusion, mobility and respiratory categories, serving patients...

Provider consolidation, a “shakeout” of companies serving the marketplace through mergers, acquisitions and closings, has been dramatically reducing the number of players in the HME industry.Yet this trend should not be viewed with alarm, but as a natural progression in a maturing business climate, says Chris Kinard, director of corporate systems development for Columbia, S.C.-based LifeHME.Kinard refers to The Consolidation Endgame Curve, a four-stage lifecycle that plots the entry,...

COLUMBIA, S.C. - In November 2013, provider Dewey Roof nobly set out to find “a new image that casts us as more than a provider of commodities.”Finding and securing new relationships has been one of the most formidable challenges for the still fledgling enterprise, called LifeHME. But after nearly a year of searching for partners, Roof says key pieces are falling into place.“One of the main questions we've asked over that time is, 'Who is the payer?'” he said. “For the...

HME resistance“What has always baffled me is why HME is so resistant to change. What industry hasn't changed in the past 20 years? For us to sit by and not expect change is just ignorance. Instead of saying, 'The sky is falling,' the truth is that the entire healthcare continuum needs a leaner model, and if we're part of the old system we will fall away. We should focus on being part of the solution rather than part of the problem.”—Dewey Roof, president, LifeHMEFinding opportunity“HME...

Three years ago, AdvaCare Home Services launched a COPD program to monitor patient care data and communicate proactively with physicians and payers about their progress. It's how the Pittsburgh-based provider has generated valuable outcomes data and cemented itself into the continuum of care. “We give (physicians) information they never could have gotten on their patient otherwise,” says AdvaCare President and CEO Tammy Zelenko. “When we can intervene and tell them what's...

Those in the industry know that HME's not a commodity, and now's the time to spread the word. Here are four ways HME providers help educate their community about the ways they provide service that is clinically sound, patient-preferred and cost-effective.Re-evaluate your nameProvider Gary Sheehan doesn't refer to his company as an “HME provider.” Instead, Cape Medical Supply is a post-acute care company, he says. The difference isn't just semantics—it elevates the provider to its...

Clinically sound. Patient-preferred. Cost-effective.These are adjectives that stakeholders all agree describe the role HME providers play in the continuum of patient care. But too often that message doesn't get through to those who most need to hear it—CMS, legislators, physicians and referral sources.“Because we haven't made our case to show that HME is an essential part of the continuum of care, it's only been viewed as  a commodity,” says Vernon Pertelle, a former Apria...

“Don't allow yourself to get down. We all move in the direction of our dominant thought. If you think you're going to be a victim, then you might as well start acting like road kill.” - Val Halamandaris“I see a new market developing where baby boomers who are retiring will say, 'To hell with insurance and Medicare. I will buy it myself.'” - Shelly Prial“Medicare has always challenged the HME industry. The Medicare law calls us a supplier and not a provider. I am personally...

Five percent of Americans consume 50% of our nation's healthcare costs. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)Every day for the next 17 years, 10,000 baby boomers will turn 65. Of the U.S. population, 26% are in the baby boomer generation. (Pew Research Center)By 2030, there will be about 71.5 million people over 65, more than twice their number in 2000. (U.S. Administration on Aging)About 12 million individuals currently receive care in their homes from more than 33,000 homecare provider agencies,...