Industry Leaders To Discuss State of HME

Atlanta will play host to the 29th annual expo and conference this month as HME professionals take over the Georgia World Congress Center Oct. 27-30 for Medtrade 2008.

With its 240,000-square-foot exhibit floor and more than 100 educational sessions, the show promises to be a one-stop shop for everything HME.

To kick off the event, Medtrade’s keynote session, called “Opportunities and Challenges Ahead — The State of the HME Industry,” will feature a panel discussion on the outlook for Medicare policy, trends that will impact the industry going forward, top legislative battles for 2009, challenges facing HME providers and manufacturers and current and future advocacy events.

The session will be moderated by American Association for Homecare President and CEO Tyler Wilson, and featured panelists will include:

• Cara Bachenheimer, senior vice president, government relations, Invacare Corp.
• Georgetta Blackburn, vice president of government relations, Blackburn’s
• Lawrence Higby, CEO, Apria Healthcare Group
• Alan Landauer, CEO, Landauer Metropolitan
• Scott Meuser, chairman and CEO, Pride Mobility Products
• John Miclot, president and CEO, Respironics

“Our industry has achieved an important goal with passage of the Medicare bill, which imposes a moratorium on the competitive bidding program and mandates reform,” Wilson said.

“But the HME industry still faces serious challenges, and this roundtable discussion with thought-leaders in the home care community will provide insights about how we can meet them.”

The keynote session will be held Tuesday, Oct. 28, at 8:45 a.m.

For more information about Medtrade 2008, visit www.medtrade.com.

Schedule At-A-Glance

Pre-Show Conferences

Monday, Oct. 27
8:00 am – 5:00 pm

• Continuum of Care
• Conquering the DME Challenges: Accreditation, Competitive Bidding and Reimbursement
  Presented by AAHomecare

Expo Show Floor Hours

Tuesday, Oct. 28
10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Wednesday, Oct. 29
10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Thursday, Oct. 30
10:00 am – 3:00 pm

Educational Conferences

Tuesday, Oct. 28
7:30 am – 8:30 am
8:45 am – 9:45 am
Keynote Address: State of the HME Industry
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Wednesday, Oct. 29
7:30 am – 9:45 am
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
4:15 pm – 5:15 pm
AAHomecare’s Washington Update

Thursday, Oct. 30
7:30 am – 9:45 am

Special Events

Tuesday, Oct. 28
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Welcome Reception: Medtrade Oktoberfest (on the Expo floor)

5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
AAHomecare’s Stand Up for Homecare Reception (Omni Hotel)