Making Your Company Work Better

During my now 30-plus years of experience in the home medical equipment industry, I have had the pleasure of visiting many HME companies either as a manufacturer's rep (early in my career), billing service/consultant (most of my career) or accreditation surveyor (concurrently for the last five years). During these visits, I have witnessed many different ways to approach the business in which all HME companies compete. I have seen any number of things that work and nearly as many that make me ask, "Who on the green earth came up with that?" Following are some of the more useful concepts and ideas I've seen that can help your company work better.

Industry Advocacy

Anyone who has ever heard me speak either at Medtrade or state associations has heard me profess the importance of getting involved in the industry. Most providers join the ranks of the apathetic and then whine and complain when CMS makes changes that negatively affect our industry and profitability. I have one simple saying that sums up this type of behavior: "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem."

All HME company owners need to get involved. Advocacy starts at the state level by joining your state or regional association. There are many powerful state associations across the country as well as several national associations. Yes, there are fees involved with joining these organizations, but compared to letting CMS and Medicaid run roughshod over the industry by cutting allowables and implementing gross profit-eating programs like competitive bidding, these fees are minimal.

Get involved!

Take Advantage of Technology

While the number of providers still using a typewriter to complete HCFA-1500s is approaching zero (believe it or not there are still a few), there are also many providers who are not taking advantage of the technology available to them. Some providers continue to do things the old-fashioned way because "that's the way we have always done it." This kind of old-school thinking not only leads to operational inefficiency but often translates into higher costs of doing business.

In these times of reduced allowables and lower margins, operational inefficiency can mean the difference between keeping the doors open and bankruptcy court. Never has the phrase "you have to spend money to make money" had more meaning than right here, right now in the HME industry.

Here are several technology options available to HME providers that will go a long way toward increasing efficiency: