LAS VEGAS — Buoyed by the introduction of H.R.1041 to repeal competitive bidding, thousands of home medical equipment providers are expected to travel to Medtrade Spring next month with a renewed interest in new products and new ideas.
"H.R. 1041 provides some new optimism [for the industry]," said Kevin Gaffney, show director for the conference and exhibition, which will be staged at Las Vegas' Sands Expo and Convention Center April 12-14. Medtrade Spring will serve as "control central" as industry organizations work to engage HME providers in garnering support for the bill, he said.
"We're working with the American Association for Homecare, VGM and The MED Group to have a call to action on site," said Gaffney, noting that each organization's booth will feature messages providers can use to contact their legislators about the bill.
This year's AAHomecare Washington Update, scheduled for April 13, will undergird that effort. Tyler Wilson, AAHomecare president, and Walt Gorski, vice president of government affairs, will provide an up-to-the-minute look at H.R. 1041's status, as well as issues related to mobility, oxygen, audits and other key HME topics.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to help boost AAHomecare's public awareness campaign coffers at the Stand Up for Homecare reception on Tuesday, April 12.
"I think with competitive bidding and the repeal bill out there, this is a good time for providers to step up and support the Stand Up for Homecare effort," Gaffney said. "It's a nice way to support the industry as it fights for this repeal."
The bill won't be the only buzz at Medtrade Spring, however. The event, which Gaffney said is on track to draw about 5,000 HME professionals from all facets of the industry, will feature 85 seminars on topics ranging from the future of oxygen therapy to building your sleep business and how to pass an unannounced NSC survey. CEU credits are available for selected sessions.
Show organizers are also responding to requests for more networking opportunities with a new 'Lunch and Learn' session on April 12. Participants will be able to grab a box lunch and join a roundtable discussion group on one of six topics such as compliance programs, inventory/purchasing and an "Ask the Attorneys" session.
"We have facilitators who will be in the discussion to keep things moving," Gaffney said, but basically, the lunchtable sessions are an opportunity for providers to share their successes, concerns and questions with others.
"That was based on feedback from attendees who wanted more peer-to-peer interaction," Gaffney said. Participation is limited to 150 people, with registration available online or at the conference.
In response to other issues facing HME providers, such as the surge of Medicare audits and interest in building retail business, Medtrade Spring has added tracks on both, Gaffney said, while a track on competitive bidding has been expanded.
"Another new feature that we are adding to our conference is a digital library," Gaffney said. All of the Medtrade Spring sessions will be recorded and can, for a fee, be viewed immediately. "You can 'attend' the sessions you missed," Gaffney said. "With 85 sessions, there is no way to attend every one. And for those folks who couldn't make it to the show, they will have the opportunity to purchase [sessions] as well."
The Expo show floor is also a highlight at Medtrade Spring. This year's event features 275 exhibitors — 61 of whom are first-timers, said Gaffney.
"New companies are coming on board to exhibit, and the floor is 3,000 square feet larger than last year for the trade show," Gaffney said. "For all practical purposes, the space we have at the Sands is sold out — about 99 percent."
One of the exhibitors is Coral Gables, Fla.-based VirtuOx, which is introducing a new wireless oximetry platform using its VPOD Freedom pulse oximeters. Company officials say the new technology could shave up to $75 off a provider's cost per test by lessening the number of visits to a patient's home.
It's an example of how HME manufacturers are finding innovative ways to help providers cuts costs and become more efficient — and that should be a drawing card for attendees.
"They are looking for exhibitors and manufacturers to give them ideas on how they can grow their businesses," Gaffney said.
That is exactly what Chris Rice of Diamond Respiratory Care in Riverside, Calif. is seeking. Rice, whose company won multiple competitive bidding contracts in the Round 1 rebid, said he is interested in new products on the trade show floor and new ideas from the seminars.
"We are seeing a lot more products and programs developed for what we need," he said, adding, "I want to see what else is out there.
"What I am looking for is some innovative stuff that we can take back that will help us do what we need to do," Rice continued. "Ideas, services, financial vehicles — what can a particular company do that is more creative and that we haven't thought about?"
That is also what is propelling four representatives of Howard's Medical Supply in Selah, Wash., to the show. Aleah Mickelson, a biller for Howard's, said they are eager to hear new ideas, get tips on doing business better and see new products.
Howard's missed Medtrade Spring last year, she said, so this year, "we have some gaps we need to fill in — [such as] how we can navigate the system and still make money."
She's eager to learn from her peers, too, especially about competitive bidding. "The fortunate thing is that we are in a really small market," Mickelson said about the company, which serves a rural population in central Washington. "We get the benefit of seeing what goes on in the bigger markets, too. That's one thing we are looking forward to at Medtrade — to get the stories and the knowledge of people who have already dealt with competitive bidding and find out what we can do as it comes toward us.
"The main thing we are looking for is information."
For more about the show or to register for Medtrade Spring, go to www.medtrade.com.