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.
Friday, December 5, 2008
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
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
Monday, November 17, 2008
How do I find home care for my loved one?
When a loved one requires medical care, many questions and concerns arise. Can the medical care be received in the home or is a nursing facility or some other institutional care required? Who can provide these services? Where do I find information?
Virtually every type of healthcare short of surgery can be performed in the home. Today millions of Americans benefit from oxygen therapy, wheelchairs, skilled nursing, sleep therapy, infusion therapy, diabetes supplies, hospice, and other medical services, supplies, and equipment at home.
The American Association for Homecare has created a webpage with resources and information to help you navigate these questions. Please visit www.aahomecare.org/athome for more information or see www.benefitscheckup.org.
Virtually every type of healthcare short of surgery can be performed in the home. Today millions of Americans benefit from oxygen therapy, wheelchairs, skilled nursing, sleep therapy, infusion therapy, diabetes supplies, hospice, and other medical services, supplies, and equipment at home.
The American Association for Homecare has created a webpage with resources and information to help you navigate these questions. Please visit www.aahomecare.org/athome for more information or see www.benefitscheckup.org.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Sen. Baucus Touts Services Provided in the Home and Community
U.S. Senator Max Baucus (D-Mont.) released his healthcare reform plan today, saying the need for reform is so great we have to act now. In his introduction to the plan, Baucus stated the need for healthcare policies that “shift the focus from institutional care to services provided in the home and community” in order to improve quality of care and reduce costs.
However, he also proposed in his plan that competitive bidding is an anti-fraud program and is a sound payment methodology for home medical equipment and services in Medicare. The American Association for Homecare disagrees with this statement.
The Association is on record as noting that the competitive bidding program for home medical equipment, which was reformed and delayed by MIPPA, is a price-setting mechanism – not an anti-fraud measure. The Association believes that the federal government should not arbitrarily limit the number of homecare providers who furnish care to seniors and people with disabilities. The number of providers should be determined by the marketplace.
In response to the healthcare plan, Tyler Wilson, president and CEO of AAHomecare, said, “The underlying rationale for competitive bidding completely misrepresents the nature of home medical equipment and related services that are integral to homecare. Competitive bidding would reduce quality of care and access to homecare for millions of seniors and people with disabilities.”
To learn more about AAHomecare’s response to the Senator’s plan, visit the AAHomecare newsroom at www.aahomecare.org.
However, he also proposed in his plan that competitive bidding is an anti-fraud program and is a sound payment methodology for home medical equipment and services in Medicare. The American Association for Homecare disagrees with this statement.
The Association is on record as noting that the competitive bidding program for home medical equipment, which was reformed and delayed by MIPPA, is a price-setting mechanism – not an anti-fraud measure. The Association believes that the federal government should not arbitrarily limit the number of homecare providers who furnish care to seniors and people with disabilities. The number of providers should be determined by the marketplace.
In response to the healthcare plan, Tyler Wilson, president and CEO of AAHomecare, said, “The underlying rationale for competitive bidding completely misrepresents the nature of home medical equipment and related services that are integral to homecare. Competitive bidding would reduce quality of care and access to homecare for millions of seniors and people with disabilities.”
To learn more about AAHomecare’s response to the Senator’s plan, visit the AAHomecare newsroom at www.aahomecare.org.
Where Does the Home Medical Equipment Sector Go from Here?
Where does the industry go from here? That topic was discussed by a roundtable panel of leaders from the home medical equipment (HME) community during a general session that started off the first day of Medtrade.
Tyler Wilson, president of AAHomecare, led a discussion about trends driving change. Participants included Invacare VP Cara Bachenheimer, BLACKBURN’S VP Georgie Blackburn, Alan Landauer, chair of Landauer Metropolitan, Pride Mobility Chairman and CEO Scott Meuser, and John Miclot, president and CEO of Philips Respironics.
Alan Landauer observed that the HME sector needs to be realistic and be more active than other healthcare sectors competing for attention in Washington. Many lawmakers still consider cuts to homecare as “low hanging fruit” that can easily be picked off. Going forward, he said, “We need to provide solutions.” His advice to companies facing both tighter credit and lower reimbursement rates: “Make friends with your bank.”
Scott Meuser said survivors in the HME sector will be those companies that innovate and are economically efficient. The HME sector also needs to adopt a marketing perspective to combating the problems in Washington. The fraud issue, he said, is “ruining our brand.” While there has been encouraging progress, Meuser noted “We have to market the value proposition” of homecare. To get that message across, “AAHomecare is the Chief Marketing Officer. We need more providers joining AAHomecare.” Also, he said after the many long battles in Washington, the homecare community needs to “create an era of mutual trust” with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Georgie Blackburn noted that working with lawmakers on Capitol Hill has been eye-opening and encouraging. Meeting recently with a congressional office, “I found an applaud for our industry. The congressional staff said, ‘How can I help you, Georgie?’” She pointed to the success the HME community has achieved this year as evidence for optimism. “When we speak together, we can make changes.” Her advice to companies: “Payor mix keeps you healthy.” But she noted that Medicare rates serve as a benchmark, and therefore HME must be paid fairly by all payors.
John Miclot commented that the future of homecare will be characterized by patients with a wider range of diseases, and the number of those patients will be “substantially larger.” He said new technologies will be available to help care for people in their homes. “It will be a very exciting time for the industry.” But in the meantime, he noted, “we need some stability over three to five years – that would be very healthy for the industry.”
Cara Bachenheimer said HME will have an evolving role in healthcare involving therapies of greater complexity for and increased variety of illnesses. The HME sector needs to continue to work to “unify and pull together” in order to accomplish some of the key tasks ahead, such as getting the services required in HME recognized and paid for in Medicare. Bachenheimer noted that legislators on Capitol Hill recognize the expertise in the HME sector and appreciate ideas and suggestions from HME. For instance, the AAHomecare 13-point plan to stop Medicare fraud represents “the meat of the matter,” she said.
Tyler Wilson, president of AAHomecare, led a discussion about trends driving change. Participants included Invacare VP Cara Bachenheimer, BLACKBURN’S VP Georgie Blackburn, Alan Landauer, chair of Landauer Metropolitan, Pride Mobility Chairman and CEO Scott Meuser, and John Miclot, president and CEO of Philips Respironics.
Alan Landauer observed that the HME sector needs to be realistic and be more active than other healthcare sectors competing for attention in Washington. Many lawmakers still consider cuts to homecare as “low hanging fruit” that can easily be picked off. Going forward, he said, “We need to provide solutions.” His advice to companies facing both tighter credit and lower reimbursement rates: “Make friends with your bank.”
Scott Meuser said survivors in the HME sector will be those companies that innovate and are economically efficient. The HME sector also needs to adopt a marketing perspective to combating the problems in Washington. The fraud issue, he said, is “ruining our brand.” While there has been encouraging progress, Meuser noted “We have to market the value proposition” of homecare. To get that message across, “AAHomecare is the Chief Marketing Officer. We need more providers joining AAHomecare.” Also, he said after the many long battles in Washington, the homecare community needs to “create an era of mutual trust” with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Georgie Blackburn noted that working with lawmakers on Capitol Hill has been eye-opening and encouraging. Meeting recently with a congressional office, “I found an applaud for our industry. The congressional staff said, ‘How can I help you, Georgie?’” She pointed to the success the HME community has achieved this year as evidence for optimism. “When we speak together, we can make changes.” Her advice to companies: “Payor mix keeps you healthy.” But she noted that Medicare rates serve as a benchmark, and therefore HME must be paid fairly by all payors.
John Miclot commented that the future of homecare will be characterized by patients with a wider range of diseases, and the number of those patients will be “substantially larger.” He said new technologies will be available to help care for people in their homes. “It will be a very exciting time for the industry.” But in the meantime, he noted, “we need some stability over three to five years – that would be very healthy for the industry.”
Cara Bachenheimer said HME will have an evolving role in healthcare involving therapies of greater complexity for and increased variety of illnesses. The HME sector needs to continue to work to “unify and pull together” in order to accomplish some of the key tasks ahead, such as getting the services required in HME recognized and paid for in Medicare. Bachenheimer noted that legislators on Capitol Hill recognize the expertise in the HME sector and appreciate ideas and suggestions from HME. For instance, the AAHomecare 13-point plan to stop Medicare fraud represents “the meat of the matter,” she said.
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