The initial blast of competitive bidding does not affect the
manual wheelchair market, but unwanted shrapnel will likely do
damage in the form of reduced overall profits. As a result, home
medical equipment providers looking to make up shortfalls in other
categories may ask manufacturers to lower manual wheelchair prices.
The problem is that in many cases, manufacturers have already done
that.
Factor in a sputtering economy, and 2010 added up to what Tim
Lis, global product development manager for wheelchairs, Invacare,
characterized as a "difficult" year for providers.
"It's almost like the perfect storm has hit the industry because
everybody was hit by the recession, so cash is an issue for
providers," says Lis. "Then you have the cutback in Medicare
reimbursement in other categories, so providers are looking to make
up their lost margin in still other categories. All of this is
hitting at once, and it has made it difficult for everybody."
Markets historically dislike uncertainty, but those in the HME
industry may be more used to it than most.
While manual wheelchairs weren't included in Round 1 of the
bidding program, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has
the authority to designate whatever products it wishes (with the
exception of Group 3 complex rehab power chairs, which have been
excluded). Predictions are that manual wheelchairs will be included
at some point.
Then there's the coding situation.
After several years of work on a badly needed revision of the
manual wheelchair code set, CMS' SADMERC (Statistical Analysis DME
Regional Carrier) transitioned to the PDAC (Pricing, Data Analysis
and Coding Contractor) in 2008, and so did the coding revamp. Since
then, the major coding project seems to be on hold, and no one is
sure when it will be completed.
One bright spot for the manual wheelchair sector is the 5
percent reimbursement bump that took effect in 2009 when so many
other products were facing a 9.5 percent cut.
Sidebar: Building
Manual Wheelchair Sales
Another is the aging population, which remains a prime driver.
As in other sectors of the HME market overall, baby boomers who are
taking care of their parents — and who themselves may need
such products — mean a strong demand for mobility aids will
continue.
According to a recent research report, the increasingly active
lifestyles of wheelchair users and wheelchairs' use in athletic
events are pronounced trends in the market. Ultra-light and
lightweight manual chairs are also likely to drive growth.
All things considered, Lis believes 2011 may look a lot like
2010, primarily because cash is still an issue for so many
providers and, of course, the prospect of competitive bidding. With
this in mind, Invacare plans to add to its Veranda product line,
which features a less expensive chair.
"We are expanding our product offerings due to market pressures,
reduced capital of providers and pricing pressures [on other
product categories] due to competitive bidding," says Lis.
"Providers are asking for a quality chair with a lower price
point."
The overall market is undeniably competitive, and Lis notes that
smaller competitors are facing the same issues as giant Invacare.
Funding is a key challenge, he re-emphasizes.
"If customers can't get a loan from the bank to buy equipment,
they can't buy it from us or our competitors," he says.
"Our competitor manufacturers are facing the same pricing
pressures from providers."
Even with such conditions affecting manual wheelchairs and other
product categories, Mike Serhan, executive vice president of Drive
Medical, remains optimistic. Calling manual wheelchairs a "growing
market," he says profits can be helped by focusing on occasionally
overlooked efficiencies.
"Efficiency is not just the cost of the product, it is the cost
of an invoice," explains Serhan. "We have a large breadth of
product, and the typical provider can put an invoice together that
would include wheelchairs, hospital beds and patient aids instead
of having to cut five different invoices."
He also thinks providers are not capitalizing on the options,
such as cushions, that can be put on a chair once patients have
it.
"Make sure it is the right cushion, the right size, and that it
fits properly with the correct accessories," he says. "There are
billable accessories, and along with the cushion, the patient will
be much better off for comfort and skin breakdown. We try to put
out educational pieces, and some providers really understand it and
do a great job."
However, Serhan says, others do not fit patients correctly, and
he believes the reason comes down to the inherent difficulty of
properly customizing a chair. In what he predicts will be a "game
changer" for the industry, Drive hopes to ease the problem with a
new option designed to maximize adjustability.
"Many times, patients really need a longer seat," Serhan
explains. "Their legs are a bit longer, or they could use a back
cushion, and they are pushed forward in the seat. The seat really
fits them poorly, which can cause circulation issues and other
problems. We are creating an 'in-the-box' option of a seat that has
telescoping depth adjustment. It is coming out in our K3 series,
our Cruiser, and our K4 series under the Viper line."
"Everyone that is eligible for a wheelchair is eligible for a
seat cushion and a back, and that is additional money that a
provider can make by billing for those items," adds Lis. "Every
person that receives a wheelchair is also eligible to receive a new
chair every five years. If I were a provider, I would be keeping
track of those years and go back to those patients at the
appropriate time."
It's All Relative
TiLite President Rick Forman says sales were good in 2010
considering the state of the national economy. He believes one of
the reasons "is related to the fact that an ever-increasing number
of clinicians and consumers recognize that highly-fitted and
individually built products like ours have significant long-term
mobility and health care benefits — primarily the reduction
of upper limb injuries associated with long-term wheelchair
use."
Recent results show October 2010 to January 2011 was the
company's best four-month period ever, Forman says. With hope for a
better economy in 2011, he's cautiously optimistic.
But Forman, too, says the optimism is "cautious" largely due to
the still unknown collateral damage that could be wrought by
competitive bidding.
"Competitive bidding will absolutely have a negative effect on
the market," states Forman. "Initially, this will only indirectly
affect TiLite, because our products were not bid in the first
round. However, we expect that competitive bidding will tend to
cause the supplier network to consolidate, which will threaten the
financial stability of some of our customers."
Along with providers, Forman says it is the end users who will
suffer.
"Ultimately, it will result in reduced consumer choice, as
dealers close or can no longer accept Medicare, or make fewer
products available to Medicare beneficiaries. This is a
shortsighted approach," he continues, "because as consumers are
forced into lower-quality products, their functional outcomes will
significantly decrease, which in turn will result in increased
medical expenditures for consumers and for Medicare."
Forman also fears that Medicare's "in the home" policy may be
extended to Medicaid programs, a move that could lead budget-busted
states to reduce costs by cutting services to patients.
"These cuts will have immediate and long-term effects," he
explains. "In the short term, wheelchair users' independence is
threatened and reduced as they are forced into heavier,
lesser-quality products. In the long term, independence may be
further impaired as more wheelchair users develop upper limb
injuries at younger ages, which will result in increased medical
expenses, accelerating the transition to more expensive power
wheelchairs."
Michael Schleipfer, ATP, vice president of operations at
Alternative Care Providers, North Chelmsford, Mass., sees the
consequences of poorly fitted wheelchairs all too often, and he
fears it will only get worse as time goes on. Even though complex
rehab will not be part of competitive bidding, Schleipfer says a
lot of problems can be created by chairs that are not deemed
"complex."
"When people spend a lot of time in the K1s and K2s, we still
see a lot of problems when someone does not get the right cushion,"
says Schleipfer. "In the past, we have given people an upgrade in
cushion and accepted lower compensation to avoid problems.
"We can't do that anymore because the profit margins that we
made in the past — on canes, walkers, commodes, crutches and
hospital beds — are not there anymore. As you reduce profit
margins across the board, these preventative extras will not be
there because of large reimbursement reductions on the DME
side."
It's not all doom and gloom, however, with Forman reporting that
in recent months he has seen more suppliers recognize the value of
convincing Medicare and private insurance customers to upgrade to
K0009-coded products.
"This cash component to the sale dramatically impacts the gross
margin that suppliers can achieve," says Forman. "And, of course,
the customer is provided with a better product, which should make
all concerned feel good about this selling approach."
At TiLite, higher demand for rigid chairs continues to outshine
the company's folding chairs, he says. Forman sees this as a
positive development, since rigid chairs are lighter, easier to
push, more maneuverable/responsive and require fewer repairs than
folding chairs on average.
Opportunity Is Out There
Despite the challenges, Drive's Serhan puts himself firmly in
the optimist's camp, believing that opportunity is out there for
those who truly appreciate the manual wheelchair market and its
impact.
"Providers don't really understand the true opportunity that
being good in wheelchairs can bring to them in the way of patient
quality of life, which means more referrals and reimbursement,"
Serhan says.
"When they get a referral for a wheelchair, it is almost taken
for granted. Don't just throw any old K1 out there. Understand the
patient's needs, bill for what is allowed, make money and make
patients happy. Dig a little deeper and cultivate a program where
you have the ability to discuss patient needs with physicians and
referral sources."
Experts Interviewed
- Alison Cherney, president, Cherney &
Assoc., Brentwood, Tenn. - Rick Forman, president and chief legal
officer, TiLite, Kennewick, Wash. - Tim Lis, global product development manager,
wheelchairs, Invacare Corp., Elyria, Ohio - Michael Schleipfer, ATP, vice president of
operations, Alternative Care Providers, North Chelmsford,
Mass. - Mike Serhan, executive vice president, Drive
Medical Design & Manufacturing, Port Washington, N.Y.
