HME News

s Attorney Asela Cuervo participates in a special report on how Medicare can save money. See page 50 for introduction. s Product Focus: This month, we asked manufacturers to submit oxygen concentrators and related items like this Clip Style Fingertip Pulse Oximeter from Drive Medical. See pages 68-69. HME NEWS POLL s Some providers have tried adding shopping carts to their websites to boost cash sales with mixed results. An overwhelming majority say it hasn't been a big sales driver for them. See results on page 78. VOLUME 17 — NUMBER 10 OCTOBER 2011 $7.00 THE BUSINESS NEWSP APER FOR HOME MEDICAL EQUIPMENT PRO VIDERS NEWS s Round 2: Bigger than expected? PAGE 4 s Provider wants auditor to pay. PAGE 6 s Medi-Cal squeezes providers. PAGE 19 SMART TALK s This month, our columnists tackle repair costs, customer communication, vehicle safety and maintaining licensure and accreditation. PAGES 26-27 COMMENTARY s "We should support legislation that mandates the creation of a government issued, multi-page clinical guide and stops the routine denial of DME prescriptions by second guessing the judgement of physicians," writes The Scooter Store's Mark Leita. PAGE 23 DEPARTMENTS PROVIDERS s AmeriCare Medical gets ahead of curve. PAGE 29 s Consumers price shop. PAGE 29 s Apria employee saves two. PAGE 34 MOBILITY s Round 2 marries manual, power wheelchairs. PAGE 37 s Update: SMS credential. PAGE 37 s NRRTS rethinks communication strategy. PAGE 38 RX & SPECIALTY PROVIDERS s Support surfaces, NPWT "make sense" for bidding. PAGE 45 s What about pricing? PAGE 45 s CPAP2Go opens new location. PAGE 49 VENDORS s APAP devices get boost. PAGE 71 s Responsive Respiratory creates app. PAGE 71 s An online store made easy. PAGE 75 WWW.HMENEWS.COM COMPETITIVE BIDDING For Round 2: It's 'full-steam ahead' 'There was a general perception that they would address some of these issues' BY LIZ BEAULIEU, Editor BALTIMORE – Any hope that CMS, of its own volition, would revise competitive bidding for Round 2 has gone up in smoke. The agency, in a press release announcing the affected zip codes and product categories for Round 2, bragged about the suc- cess of Round 1, which it says has resulted in 35% less spending, no changes in benefi ciary health and few complaints. "It's disappointing that, even Stakeholders know the score for rehab benefi t BY ELIZABETH DEPREY, Associate Editor WASHINGTON – Stakeholders now have a better idea what it would cost to create a separate benefi t for complex rehab. Stakeholders in July received a score for their draft bill from a Washington, D.C., consulting fi rm they hired, and it's in line with their expectations. But for SCORE SEE PAGE 19 with overwhelming evidence from bidding experts that this is a fundamentally fl awed program, CMS is not making any chang- es," said Walt Gorski, vice presi- dent of government affairs for AAHomecare. "There was a gen- eral perception that they would address some of these issues." One of the biggest issues with competitive bidding in its cur- rent form, according to bidding experts, including Prof. Peter Cramton, and industry stake- holders: The bids that provid- ers submit are not binding. A CMS official told Inside Health Policy that the agency didn't have the authority to make ROUND 2 SEE PAGE 24 IN THE SPOTLIGHT A band of HME providers found themselves in the national spotlight Aug. 16, when they demonstrated outside of an economic forum attended by President Obama in Peosta, Iowa. Provider Bill Kellenberger, owner of Davenport, Iowa-based Kelly's Medical Equipment was one of those who suddenly found himself on the talking end of a reporter's microphone. SEE STORY PAGE 4. HME seeks inside track with hospitals BY THERESA FLAHERTY, Managing Editor YARMOUTH, Maine – The details on accountable care organizations (ACOs) are still being ham- mered out, but savvy providers are already piloting new pro- grams aimed at helping hospi- tals reduce readmissions. "There are two pools of folks that are going to be able to help hospitals: HME providers or home health agencies," said provider David Hartley, CEO of Indianapolis- based Home Health Depot. The Affordable Care Act of 2010 included a provision that provides an incentive to hos- pitals and physicians, working together as ACOs, to keep patients out of the health- care system as much as possible. HME providers aren't specifi - Alan Morris cally included in ACOs, but there's place at the table, say stakeholders. "This is a new oppor- tunity for (providers) to bring cost savings to their referral sources," said Alan Morris, direc- tor of alternate care programs for The VGM Group. "They have the opportunity to help hospitals save money." ACOS SEE PAGE 32 Invacare booth salutes HME industry BOOTH 714 BY JOHN ANDREWS, Contributing Editor E LYRIA, OHIO-BASED INVACARE is celebrating the "amazing work" HME providers do for their clients with a new campaign called "Mak- ing Life's Experiences Possible" at Medtrade this year. By nearly doubling its exhibit space over last year, Invacare is primed to introduce compelling new products while relating how home medical The theme at this year's Invacare booth: "Making Life's Experiences Possible." INVACARE SEE PAGE 61

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