ATLANTA — Health care reform, competitive bidding, company survival. Those were the top items on HME providers' minds at Medtrade 2009, held Oct. 12-15 at the Georgia World Congress Center. In spite of the industry's uncertain conditions, however, many providers said they were determined to move forward in the face of current challenges, employing new products and new operating strategies to help them remain profitable.
Here's what a sample of providers attending the annual conference and expo had to say:
"I think that health care reform is absolutely going backwards, and the people who need equipment and supplies are not getting their needs met. We are all fighting to help them. Health care reform is taking more money out of the pit instead of putting it in. Government oversight is costing so much money — and it's money that isn't going to the end-user. Let's focus on service, not dollars."
— Christine Miller, Walker Discount Medical Supplies, Grand Junction, Colo.
"I'm a first-time attendee at Medtrade. My husband and I own a pharmacy, and we are looking at ways to make sure we stay in compliance, keep our records well-organized and meet the needs of our clients in the most cost-effective manner."
— Margie Biliter, Bluegrass Family Pharmacy, Richmond, Ky.
"In the last year, we have become accredited and we have streamlined our distribution process. My outlook on the future is about 50-50, and it depends on the government. They impacted us tremendously this last year — we lost 30 percent of our business — and we are looking to reverse that this year. It depends on the regulations."
— Edwin Morgan, American Hospice Equipment Co., Atlanta
"Our goal is to find a retail product that I can put in my showroom that will draw people in and bring in new business. I'm trying out these massaging insoles to see how they work, among other products."
— Marty Giles, Motion Mobility & Design, North Canton, Ohio
"I am optimistic about the future of home care. At this point, there is a lot going on legislatively, but home care is the place to be."
— Terry Luft, Central Medical Equipment Co., Harrisburg, Pa.
"The best new product I have seen at this show would be the Retractable Oxygen Tubing Reel. It combines an innovative, yet simplistic, approach to allowing patients within the home and in skilled nursing facilities more mobility and less to worry about as far as oxygen tubing."
— Eric Houck, Laurel Baye Medical, Norcross, Ga.
"We are going to look at developing business for more retail products in the coming year. We all need more diverse revenue streams, and we are looking at [lumbar sacral orthoses] and electrotherapy and any of the ancillary products such as conductive garments. I see it as an additional revenue source and as an additional benefit to the patient."
— John Herod, Advantageous MD LLC, Virginia Beach, Va.
"I attended the inventory control session. There were a lot of good ideas that I can take back about how people use software. I am in charge of ordering and managing inventory for our company that installs overhead ceiling lifts."
— Steve Abbott, Patient Lifts of New England, Atkinson, N.H.
"I liked the session about the legal guidelines on marketing and joint venturing. It helped outline how to go forward in relationships with doctors — how I can structure my company in a legal way so that I can leverage that opportunity."
— Michael Christensen, Momentum Orthopedic Products, Mansfield, Texas
