Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/56191
Rx and Specialty 26 Providers BY THERESA FLAHERTY, Managing Editor RICHMOND, Va. – If there's one thing provider Tim Tillman has noticed in the past year, it's that everyone is talking about home sleep testing. That's why, in February, www. cpappeople.com planned to start offering the service. "The industry itself seems to be latching onto it and we hope to be a part of that," he said. "Convenience and price for customers is the driv- ing force." Initially, the provider will focus on promoting the new service in its local market, including local trade- shows, before launching a national push, probably in March. Cpappeo- ple.com is also working with local physicians. "We are letting our local doctors feel out and make sure that our sys- tem works and that what we are offering is good for the patients," said Tillman. Lower-cost home sleep tests are WWW.HMENEWS.COM / MARCH 2012 / HME NEWS CPAPPeople ventures into home testing a good fit with the provider's cash- only business model, said Tillman. Its typical customer, says Tillman, finds that paying out-of-pocket is often cheaper than going through their insurer. "Our customers don't want to pay $3,000 for a sleep study or go to a sleep clinic," he said. "In the same respect that we are selling CPAPs to them, we can also sell the sleep test." One potential new pool of cus- tomers: truck drivers. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administra- tion is expected to release draft regulations this year on sleep apnea and truck drivers. "Testing is going to become mandatory so we are hoping to get people in line for that before it becomes something they lose their jobs over," said Tillman. "We have a couple of partnerships we are building with trucking companies that are headquartered locally." HME STORY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25 Maximize Value Across Your Supply Chain Dimensional Insight's, The Diver Solution™ , is designed to provide users with a single resource for all supply chain management initiatives: n Category Analytics n Channel Management n Demand Planning n Inventory Management n Order Fulfillment n Profitability Reporting n Sales Operations n Supplier Collaboration n Dashboard Development testing increased from $62 million in 2001 to $235 million in 2009, according to the Office of the Inspector General. But with an aging population, rising obesity levels and increased awareness of sleep apnea, that's to be expected, say providers. Another factor: "Awareness leads to testing," said Lisa Feierstein, president and co-founder of Active Healthcare in Raleigh, N.C. Providers also took issue with the oversimplified suggestions— such as losing weight—quoted in the story. "That's a shortsighted and flip- pant response, as far as I am con- cerned," said Feierstein. "They can't lose the weight unless we treat the sleep apnea. They go hand in hand. It's a very complicated issue." The story also suggests getting SELF-SERVICE BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE DASHBOARDS EMBEDDED ANALYTICS DI is the engine behind the HME DataBank Dimensional Insight powers the HME DataBank with its Business Intelligence (BI) software, The Diver Solution™ . The HME DataBank is a powerful online resource that tracks Medicare spending on durable medical equipment for 117 key product categories. The HME DataBank helps you: n Determine your market share n Track competitors n Strategize for growth Learn more about the HME DataBank at: http://www.hmedatabank.com/ Learn more about DI's Business Intelligence solutions at: http://www.dimins.com/hme more patients diagnosed by home sleep tests, rather than in the more expensive lab setting. The story's emphasis on the expense of testing, rather than the long-term cost benefits of treat- ment, was "unhelpful," said Ed Grandi. "Compliance is where we should be focusing," said Grandi, executive director of the Ameri- can Sleep Apnea Association. "What are we doing to improve adherence to therapy? Yes, the insurers can get away with paying less for the sleep tests, but they are not going to use the savings to pay for (providers to manage patient compliance)." HME STARK CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25 nebulizers, supply kits, specialty nutrients and infusion drugs. One thing home infusion provid- ers have going for them in an audit: solid clinical documentation, says Stark. The trick is making sure every- thing is "ticked and tied," she said. "For the most part, medical necessity is justified," said Stark. "It's just that the LCDs are so com- plex. They are auditing these prod- ucts where there are many hoops to jump through." HME