Beginning the show each morning of Medtrade 2003, HomeCare magazine will sponsor an opening session designed to get your day going with a focus on the future. These information-packed daily seminars will spotlight legislative issues, business forecasting and strategies for professional achievement that will keep you informed, get you prepared and move you toward success in home health care’s changing landscape. First up on Thursday, Oct. 9, the American Association for Homecare will present its “Washington Update,” where you will learn about the association’s fight against competitive bidding and other reimbursement-reducing legislation currently facing the industry. Never before has it been so important to understand how decisions in Washington can affect your company. Hear first-hand what issues are being discussed, what they mean for you,…

Past the opportunity to see 250,000 home medical products and visit with 1,000 manufacturers, distributors and service companies on the exhibit floor, Medtrade 2003 also offers an educational program encompassing specialty training events and a full conference schedule. More than 180 sessions will cover business and industry topics in 11 different tracks, including: accreditation; business operations/customer service; home health/clinical; information technology; legal/legislative; pharmacy; profesional motivation; re/habilitation and assistive technology; reimbursement; respiratory; and sales and marketing. So sharpen your pencils and take notes, because class is officially in session. Check for last-minute additions, special sessions and events or time changes so you won’t miss a thing! Thursday, October 9 [7:30 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.] Opening Session AAHomecare’s “Washington Update” [8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.] Benchmarking HME…

Apathetic,” “sluggish,” “dull,” “listless,” “unenergetic” — these all are terms that describe lethargy. When I look at many dealers from my ivory tower in Florida, I see another definition for lethargy. What I see are dealers sitting back on their derrieres, complaining about how their businesses may be affected by pending legislation and waiting for someone else to tie the bell on the cat. There is no one else! If you are not willing to work and fight to protect your company, then either close it or sell it. What triggered this diatribe were several calls I received recently from DME dealers, two of whom I did not know. The calls were about the prescription plans being proposed and the changes anticipated in Medicare reimbursements….

In the HME business, the No. 1 issue typically is reimbursement — with good reason. Reimbursement directly impacts your bottom line. And, while my main focus as a consultant is on reimbursement — as should your focus be as an HME provider — I also like to step away occasionally from the “big” issue and focus on the smaller issues that make HME companies unique. How many times have you heard the phrase “It’s the little things that matter”? Whether related to service or operational protocol, the day-to-day tactics you employ to run your business successfully also impact your bottom line. Be Our Guest To make sure she takes care of the little things, Kelly Riley, director of ViaChristi at Home in Ponca City, Okla.,…

Direct-Mail Simplicity The U.S. Postal Service created “Simple Formulas: The Easy Way to Grow Your Business with Mail” to help small businesses with mailing and marketing. The program publishes various free booklets, from Stirring Up Sales with a Simple Catalog and The Five Habits of Highly Effective Postcards to The Six Features of Graphic Design That Sell. Each is available at www.usps.gov/directmail. To access, click “Simple Formulas” on the right menu bar. Talk the Talk Len Serafino wrote Sales Talk to help home care professionals talk the talk. The book covers conveying passion in a pitch, using presentation tools, approaching a sales call, knowing when to listen, mastering public speaking and factoring in non-oral communication. The book tells how to assess communication skills, helps eliminate…

Stand Up for Respiratory Home Care Respiratory home care reimbursement is one of the solutions to totally improve the delivery of home health care in our nation. Medicare pays only for equipment but not for the cardiorespiratory assessment of a patient or modality of therapy treatment given at home by a respiratory therapist. An experienced respiratory professional knows if the patient needs the current therapy or not! And respiratory care must be practiced by a respiratory therapist, not a nurse! Everyone must strive to get this approved in Congress. Our patients, our children, our own post-retirement health care depend on it. It is a very bright future — and I believe it is going to be achieved. — Frank Alvarez, RRT, CPFT, president, Alvacare II…

The uncertainty that remains a constant in the home medical equipment industry fortunately is alleviated by the solutions HME software programs offer. Providers can streamline business functions, increase claims accuracy, decrease denials and fully manage their companies’ assets while remaining compliant with ever-changing regulations. Yet, a significant challenge remains: How can providers better use available technology to take full advantage of their software’s existing features? Freedom from the burdensome paper trail is a tremendous benefit, particularly in this industry, which is overly dependent on forms. “Instead of being bogged down with paperwork, HME software can take you from your purchase orders right through to electronic claims and accounts receivable as one integrated process,” says Brian Williams, marketing manager for Computer Applications Unlimited in Harrisburg, Pa….

A burgeoning population, health conditions and diseases that are merely treated — not cured — and more efficient diagnostic practices make the respiratory market a solid profit center that continues to increase. Jacquelyn McClure BS, RRT, director of Lubbock, Texas-based The MED Group’s National Respiratory Network, says home oxygen and treatment for sleep-disordered breathing are the segments of the respiratory market that are bringing providers the most revenues, but adds that information technology is also making a strong impact. According to McClure, technologies that can replace routine activities to free up labor for complex problem-solving and assessment activities are on the rise. Baby boomers are moving into an age group or category where they are needing or requiring supplementary oxygen, says Ron Richard, Poway, Calif.-based…