Getting Smart about Supply Replacement

Creating and maintaining a supply program for patients with obstructive sleep apnea makes good sense — both clinically and financially. HomeCare Xtra conducted a Q&A with Laurie Scott, a United States marketing manager for patient interfaces at Respironics, to help HME providers get started.

XTRA: How can HME providers boost their sleep therapy supply business?

Scott: There are a few key things that help. First, understand that patient compliance is fundamental to the supply replacement business. OSA patients do not need supplies if they are not being compliant or adhering to their therapy. Some tips include:

• Develop a patient care model to promote and/or enhance patient compliance, including a policy for contacting patients after initial set-up, after three months, six months, etc.

• Provide innovative, industry-leading products to your patients that will give them the best chance of therapy success and, therefore, create an ongoing need for supplies.

• Evaluate and weigh your investment options. Compare your profit for the initial positive airway pressure and mask with a slightly larger up-front investment to drive longer-term compliance and long-term profits from supply replacement.

Providers should discuss supply replacement with new patients during their initial set-up. Be sure to:

• Describe why it is important for successful therapy to have fresh supplies on a regular basis, and inform new patients about their specific payer's supply replacement policies and frequency tables, if known.

• Describe how you will be contacting them about their supply.

• Collect several means of contacting them, including email addresses and cell phone numbers, along with their home phone numbers.

• If using a third-party solution, such as [a] voice- response patient management application, introduce your patients to a sample call.

• Also, inform your longer-term patient base about how your program will make it easy for them to receive the supplies they need on a regular basis. It [may be] helpful to invest in updated computer systems or vendor-supplied software to help track when patients are eligible for supplies.

Be methodical in updating records. If a mask is swapped out for a new size or new style, update your records to ensure that you can eliminate any guesswork when the patient needs a replacement.