In a near-unanimous response, 92 percent of the home medical equipment providers surveyed for HomeCare’s 2004 Forecast (December 2003) said they intend to cut their costs this year. That is fantastic, because cutting costs is a requirement for the new era this industry has entered with passage of the Medicare Prescription Drug Act. Nearly all of the cost-cutting methods providers reported, however, were centered on buying practices. For example, 47 percent of providers said they plan to buy products in bulk. But in spite of the old adage that declares, “You make your money when you buy, not when you sell,” buying in bulk may not produce the result providers desire. There are a few important facts to consider before embarking on bulk purchasing practices….