MY STAFF AND I are in the midst of our summer survey season, when we compile our annual Facts & Figures report (see page 24) and prepare our annual surveys on reimbursement practices and on salary and benefits packages.

Going over the initial results of our Reimbursement Survey (which will be published in our August issue), I was struck by the fact that a number of the problems encountered by survey participants are preventable — or can at least be reduced with some targeted measures Case in point: One of the top reasons home medical equipment claims are denied or reviewed is because the patients already have like or similar equipment. Now, you might not have access to the Common Working File that would tell you what equipment has been sold to a Medicare patient, but you don't have to give up the ghost. Is the question part of your normal patient intake procedure? Customer surveys won't yield all the information you need to ensure timely payment on claims but they can help prevent double billing — and save you invaluable time and money.

I launched our annual Reimbursement Survey last year so that the results could be used to help solve some billing problems the industry faces. Tall order, yes, but until you know what a problem is, you can't begin to fix it.

Below is a list of ideas the HME providers we surveyed shared about what should be done to improve the reimbursement process. Some are suggestions that individual companies can implement on their own. Others are impossible to accomplish without industry-wide support. Others will never happen but simply felt good to repeat. Take your pick.

• Because the government is ignorant of what our industry does, we need to invest in more education about the money we save Medicare in home care.

• Focus on hiring and keeping highly specialized billing and collections staff.

• We must unite so we can tell people on Capitol Hill, the feds and the public what we really do and that it takes reasonable reimbursement to provide quality health care.

• The industry, payers and physicians must use more technology.

• We need to combat the short-sightedness of payers not realizing that early approval of less expensive therapy can prevent the necessity of more expensive treatment later.

• We should refuse to sign contracts that give insurance companies the upper hand, thereby making the HME industry grovel. There is a price for quality. The American public must be re-educated that “Health care is not free!” You get what you pay for.

• The burden of proving medical necessity should be put on the physical therapists and doctors rather than suppliers.

• We need to be able to complete all sections of the CMN to present to physicians for review and signature. And we need to impose penalties and sanctions on physicians that carelessly or intentionally sign an incorrect CMN.

• We need to educate America's elderly population through organizations like the American Association of Retired Persons.

• We need better salaries and bonus incentive programs. We need to pay attention and listen to those people who run the business on a daily basis — and have the best ideas.

• Take the gloves off — tell Medicare to increase reimbursement or we boycott Medicare.

• We need a public relations campaign directed at Congress, health maintenance organizations and other payers. Take out TV ads and explain why and what we do to serve the clients and why the money is justified.

• Dismantle the Health Care Financing Administration.