Oxygen Problems Way Back When

30 years ago

November saw HomeCare examining the state of the oxygen market. A series of early articles spanned the gamut from definitions of equipment to analyzing the “demanding but worthwhile commitment” to oxygen sales in the fledgling market. (Medicare began covering home oxygen in 1973.)

In a related mail and telephone survey, 212 HomeCare readers revealed growth in their HME companies’ respiratory care business despite “the continued decline in the use of IPPBs as a modality” because of “an increase in the use of aerosol equipment and, to a lesser degree, in ultrasonic nebulizers.”

Little did providers know that was only the beginning of what has become an incredible decades-long advance in product technology (see page 36 for the latest take) — and that policies and regulations governing the category then probably wouldn’t even be considered a minor headache today.

20 years ago

November 1988 featured a rather shocking claim on its cover: “Two weeks after HomeCare began its investigation into physicians in home care, three people had called back saying their jobs would be in jeopardy if we printed their comments.”

In the feature “Is There A Doctor In The House,” the magazine’s staff explored the position of physicians in HME. The introduction spoke volumes about the tenuous nature of the subject matter: “As with most new and undefined phenomena, few in the community are willing to talk above a whisper about the newest competitors on the block — although to some they have become an epidemic raging throughout the home equipment industry …

“Physicians in home care. Their growing influence has shocked some, concerned many and enraged others. The question to be addressed is whether or not a physician-owned HME company is in the public’s best interest.”

In other news, the annual National Home Health Care Exposition (NHHCE) was held in Atlanta, and the National Association of Medical Equipment (NAMES) showcased its new image as a proactive advocate for the industry.

10 years ago

Recent reports of HME theft have all centered around fraud and abuse, but in November of 1998, HomeCare focused on the other areas of monetary dishonesty affecting the HME bottom line: employee theft, stolen patients and poor business decisions.

In a survey on the issues, 51 percent of the respondents said they considered theft to be a problem in the industry. Given the opportunity to respond in greater depth, providers expounded upon the damage that theft — whether stealing of patients or equipment — had caused their individual businesses.

One respondent reported $100,000 of losses in stolen goods. Most said theft accounted for between $5,000 and $10,000 in losses annually. One respondent even noted, “My computer was stolen from my desktop.”