Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/45026
26 Providers Petersen Medical loves a parade Oren, Utah-based Petersen Medical joined in the fun when the Utah State Developmental Center, an intermediate care facility for people with intellectual disabili- ties, held a parade for its residents June 23. Petersen Medical employees Amy Demke, left, and Cheyenne Willard showed off their wheelchair driving skills for the crowd. BY ELIZABETH DEPREY, Associate Editor LOS ANGELES – Provider Steve Welch has gone from a storefront with 1,000 products to a web- based business offering more than 10,000 products. "There's such a big market out WWW.HMENEWS.COM / NOVEMBER 2011 / HME NEWS Bye-bye brick and mortar 'More and more people are going online to buy their equipment' there, especially with all the DME providers going out of business, with competitive bidding and things like that going on," said Welch. With their usual providers unavailable, "More and more peo- ple are going online to buy their My Name: Fernando Rivas My Occupation: HME Operations Manager We use the Eclipse because it works. Period. It's reliable, easy for patients to use and I rarely need to send a driver to fix it. The fact that it's upgradeable is genious! As SeQual comes up with new ideas, our fleet of Eclipses stays current. The Eclipse keeps my costs low, is good for business and good for me. MY FLEET MY ECLIPSE equipment," he said. Welch's website, www.bestmed- icalsuppliesonsale.com, offers a full line of HME, from mobility and wound care to hospital beds and vehicle lifts. The company focuses solely on cash sales, Welch said. Cus- tomers range from assisted liv- ing facilities and doctor's offices to children buying HME for their parents and even HME consumers themselves. Providers who venture online and don't see any benefit are missing a step, Welch said: It's all about the marketing. "A lot of people just set up a website and that's it," said Welch. "They think that's all it is. It takes some time and it takes some effort to make sure it is on the first page of Google so people can actually find it." Even the name of his site includes keywords people might search for. "It can be the best website in the world, but if nobody goes there, it doesn't really matter," said Welch. HME FLIP CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Under the flip model, reim- bursement for portable oxygen concentrators was raised from $28.77 per month to $150 per month, and stationary concentra- tors was reduced from $175.70 per month to $90 a month. MAMES Executive Director With new and improved features, including variable rise time, adjustable sensitivity settings and pulse dosing up to 192mL, this robust system fulfills patients 24/7 oxygen needs at rest, during activities, during sleep and at altitude. A new, innovative large wheel cart design allows for easy battery replacement, and smaller AC and DC adapters make the E3 even easier for the patients to go anytime, anywhere. One piece of equipment for both stationary and ambulatory use— the clear choice for a non-delivery business model. The Eclipse 3 reduces maintenance costs, increases productivity and lowers operating expenses. Protect Your Investment • Protect Your PatIent • Protect Your Bottom LIne Schafhauser Rose Schafhauser said she's given details on the model to other states faced with budget cri- ses this year. "We have solid financial in format io n from Missouri Medicaid that it is indeed saving The 3rd Generation has Arrived. them the money they estimated, and any potential migration by the stationary customers did not happen," said Shafhauser. Provider Dave Hossman said he felt the flip model was more reasonable than Medicare's cap. "We were going to be hit with cuts," said Hossman, director of home medical equipment at St. Louis-based BJC Healthcare. "This is less onerous, and at least you're getting reimbursed fairly on the portable side." Missouri will continue with the flip model because lawmak- ers are pleased with the savings, Naeger said. "Why can't we do this on a national level and get rid of the 36-month cap?" he said. "The proof is in the pudding." HME YOU0111