Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/36987
30 Product Focus BY JOHN ANDREWS, Contributing Editor Category Development COOTERS FALL INTO a category of their own within the mobil- ity segment—a lifestyle prod- uct with a clinical purpose that is available through both insurance and retail channels. Yet while demand has progressively grown in recent years, coverage and funding have slipped, presenting scooter dealers with a dilemma about which sales channel deserves the most focus. Mobility vendors concede that insurers— both public and private—are increasingly reluctant to cover scooters for beneficiaries and that the funding provided is typically for the most basic models in their portfolios. “Due to Medicare reimbursement chang- es, the scooter market has changed in the past six months,” observed Jason Davis, vice president of sales for Old Forge, Pa.-based CATEGORY: COVERAGE ISSUES ■ Golden Technologies. “This change is due to lower reimbursement and the amount of work to properly qualify an end-user. For this reason, scooters now represent a small- er portion of overall mobility sales. Dealers who choose to bill Medicare for their scoot- ers have found themselves sacrific- ing quality for pricing.” Dale Nash, business develop- ment manager for Port Washing- ton, N.Y.-based Drive Medical’s wheelchair business, contends that insurance coverage and fund- ing for scooters “is a discussion all its own.” While the most utilized Medicare category is the K0800, Nash says other cat- egories have been tagged as not being medi- cally necessary or inappropriate for indoor use due to the size or higher-performing components. “Qualifying consumers then get moved to the least costly alternative or denied,” Scooters Falling funding: Health plan coverage is dwindling for scooters in the public and private domains and even when funding is available, it is only for the most basic models. So manufacturers recommend that scooter dealers focus more on retail sales to maximize their revenues. Strong demand from a burgeoning demographic (with access to cash) ensures that sales potential is significant. BELLS & WHISTLES ■ Accessories galore: Scooters have a plethora of add-on sales items and manufacturers recommend decking out showroom floor models with every conceivable option. The long menu of ancillary products includes: tote bags, cane holders, oxygen holders, cup holders, baskets, flags and covers. Dealers should also consider institutional sales to resorts, casinos and shopping malls, while expanding vertical product lines, such as vehicle lifts and ramps. Product Focus Baskets Ranger All-Season Corporation REAR FOLDING BASKET ■ ■ Collapsible. Seat mounted with universal mounting. ■ Interchangeable mounting with the oxygen tank holder and walker crutch holder. www.rangerallseason.com ■ Drive Medical SCOOTER BASKET ■ ■ Measures 11.75 inches by 16.75 inches by 11.25 inches. ■ For use with all Drive and most manufacturers’ scooters. www.drivemedical.com LARGE REAR BASKET ■ ■ Shoprider Durable. Easy attachment and removal. ■ Practical capacity to hold personal and shopping items. www.shoprider.com ■ Easy to install and has one-year warranty. ■ Vehicle Lifts Ranger All-Season Corporation ATLAS II ■ ■ Designed for vehicles with stow-and-go seating. Enables driver to not lose third row seating. ■ Easily removable, if needed. www.rangerallseason.com Pride Mobility Products PRIDE LIFTS AND RAMPS OUTLANDER EXTERIOR LIFT ■ Comes fully assembled with all accessories in one box. Simple, hitch- based installation requires little to no modification of vehicles and allows for easy removal. Can accommodate a wide variety of Pride power chairs and scooters, as well as other manufacturers’ mobility devices. www.pridemobility.com Harmar AL435 3-AXIS INSIDE LIFT ■ Powered boom provides 12 inches of additional extension for larger vehicle rear bumper clearance. ■ Maneuvers the largest power chair/scooter into the smallest of vehicles. Includes an ergonomic hand control and two wireless key fobs. www.harmar.com VENDOR SERVICES ■ Professional help: Manufacturers are eager to help their dealers with sales, marketing and merchandising assistance. Programs include plan-a-grams, sales training, product information, promotional banners and maintenance support. WWW.HMENEWS.COM / AUGUST 2011 / HME NEWS Scooter success requires retail-minded providers S he said. “The consumers face the alterna- tive of buying the scooter they want for cash or do without. Larger consumers are the ones left out totally because in order to build an appropriate product that supports additional weight requirements on a stable “Dealers who choose to bill Medicare for their scooters have found themselves sacrificing quality for pricing” foundation, the product has to increase in size and component performance. So it’s a Catch-22.” Therefore, mobility vendors agree that retail represents the best opportunity for dealers to boost their sales and revenues for scooters. “This is a very viable, strong market,” THINKING RETAIL Pat O’Brien, Golden’s director of marketing, contends that dealers must be retail-minded in order to succeed in the retail environ- ment, which includes sufficient promotion and advertising. “Consistent advertising to their target demographic is important to draw the cus- tomers into their store,” she said. “Once the customer is inside, having a friendly, knowledgeable sales staff, along with a clean, well organized, well-lit showroom, SCOOTERS SEE PAGE 31 Ramps ADJUSTABLE, SELF-SUPPORTING RAMP ■ Prairie View Industries Designed for doorways that swing out or in. ■ Self-supporting design is adjustable to fit a range of threshold rises. ■ Durable welded construction with slip resistant grooved aluminum surface. www.pviramps.com Drive Medical WHEELCHAIR AND SCOOTER RAMP ■ Durable, lightweight construction with perforated slots that keep water from collecting on ramp. ■ Variety of sizes meets many elevation changes and offers weight capacity of 600 pounds. ■ Comes with a carry bag and a limited lifetime warranty. www.drivemedical.com Pride Mobility Products PRIDE LIFTS AND RAMPS RUBBER THRESHOLD RAMPS ■ Constructed of high- impact recycled rubber for durability and long life. ■ Can be used indoors and outdoors, maintenance-free. ■ Can be trimmed or notched for a custom fit. www.pridemobility.com ■ ■ EZ-Access EZ-ACCESS TRIFOLD RAMP ADVANTAGE SERIES RAMP WITH OPTIONAL TLE ■ Unique 3-fold design, offers the length required for wheelchairs and scooters to easily access steps, vehicles, and raised landings. Features high-quality, skid-resistant tread with yellow safety strips and a self-adjusting bottom transition plate for easy conversion from ramp to ground. Optional Top Lip Extension (TLE) allows for rear door access on utility trailers, SUVs and vans. www.ezaccess.com Link Mfg. LB10 RAMP ■ Reduces equipment damage. ■ High strength aluminum extrusion. ■ Easy installation. www.linkramps.com Batteries Shoprider 12V 12AMP X 2 SCOOTER BATTERY PACK ■ Rechargeable. ■ Reliable. ■ Long-lasting charges. www.shoprider.com said Cy Corgan, national sales director for Exeter, Pa.-based Pride Mobility. “What we see is a baby boomer turning 65 every 10 seconds for the next 18 years. The demo- graphics are heavily in our favor.” Corgan has a laundry list of retail strate- gies that scooter dealers can pursue, such as selling to cruise ships, resorts, casinos, shopping malls and hotels; offering high- end and special models like bariatrics; and carrying a wide selection of accessories for add-on sales. John Koster, business manager for scoot- ers at Elyria, Ohio-based Invacare says, “Almost all scooters are designed to work with add-on accessories,” including bas- kets, cup holders and rearview mirrors. “All providers should keep these accesso- ries in stock and on their showroom demos in order to upsell the accessories at every opportunity,” he said.