Homecare Business Provides Independence

Delivering equipment directly to patients homes, instructing patients on how to use and maintain the equipment and ensuring their safety are just a few of the services durable medical equipment (DME) supply companies offer. The Mining Gazette in Michigan featured Portage Health Apothecary Home Medical Equipment on December 4, mentioning the benefits their company provides to seniors in Michigan including independence.

Apria Healthcare Upper Peninsula Manager Brian Geshel was quoted as saying the equipment they provide "help save healthcare dollars because it's less expensive to care for patients in the home than in the hospital. In addition, people certainly like being in their home compared to being in the hospital."

To read the full story, visit http://www.mininggazette.com/page/content.detail/id/502867.html?nav=5003.

Daschle to battle for healthcare reform in 2009

Recently, President-elect Barack Obama named former senator Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) as his choice for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. In this role, not only would he oversee the departments’ $707.7 billion budget which includes Medicare, but he will also be tasked with pushing healthcare reform legislation through Congress, according to a recent article in the Washington Post.

Reform of healthcare, especially Medicare, is a top issue in Washington, D.C. and Obama has campaigned for the last two years on reform ideas including insurance coverage for all children and reduction of family medical bills by $2,500.

Daschle will have to tackle Medicare spending which is projected to grow annually by 7.5 percent over the next decade as well. Medicare trustees project that Medicare’s Trust Fund will be exhausted in 2019.

To read the full story, visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/04/AR2008120403716.html?hpid=topnews