Live Long and Prosper

This is definitely not the time for sack cloth and ashes. Home care as an industry is not passing on. On the contrary, it is being restructured.

My concern is that not every DME/HME provider sees this situation as an opportunity. The competitive bid will not be shared universally. Some bids will not be accepted by CMS. Many providers will opt not to bid because the profit dollars have been diminished to a point where they feel it is not worth their effort.

But they will NOT close their doors. They will seek new opportunities and new ways to build business.

Will Rogers has been quoted as saying, “This country has come to feel the same when Congress is in session as when the baby gets hold of a hammer.” Nothing has changed over the years since he made that observation. Perhaps today for this industry, the baby can best be identified as CMS, and it is currently holding the hammer.

Providers have been calling to tell me that they are frightened, and that they fear the consequences of competitive bidding. I understand that, but I also know that this fear should only be a catalyst to make you aware of the opportunities that are available in your market.

Another quote from Marie Curie: “Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.” I want every reader of HomeCare magazine to recognize that there is a future for the industry, and to understand that this should be viewed as an opportunity.

It is time to sit down and chart a new course for your company. The HME industry is being restructured, and you have to do the same. Rather than sack cloth and ashes, now is the time for a rebirth.

Build a new foundation for your company to work from based on cash sales and over-the-counter business. The sales are there, and you can develop, find and then expand them. Look how successful Wal-Mart and Target and many other retailers have been in increasing their company's sales. Notice how brightly lit their stores are, how everything is priced and how customers are treated like an old friend. No one can do this better than you.

Work together with your entire staff. Hold a special meeting to detail your ideas for expansion, and then ask your employees for theirs. Arrange for one member to speak first with an idea. Once the ice is broken, they will all offer ideas and suggestions based on their experiences. Write these all down. There is no better source of information than what your team will recommend.

Try it. Put these ideas to work with a new business plan.