WHEN I WAS 8, there wasn't anything I wanted more than a new bike. Not just any bike, mind you, but a Star Wars bike. It was sleek, black, and had cool X-Wings and Tie-Fighters engaged in galactic warfare painted at strategic points along its frame. Bottom line: It was a cool bike, and a heck of a lot better than the pink and lime-green, banana-seated hand-me-down I got from my sister.

So after whining and pining for months over this hip new Hog, my birthday arrived. Through the carnage of wrapping paper, melted Neopolitan ice cream and the lingering scent of blown-out birthday candles, my father rolled in my new Star Wars bike. The bike was better, faster and cooler than any other known neighborhood street machine. It was all upside with no downside. So, I burst into tears and went running out of the room.

Why? Maybe it was the intense emotional lightning bolt of finally realizing my desire after months of anticipation. Maybe all the hype surrounding the bike — and then actually getting it — was too much. And maybe, however unlikely, it was that the bike was just too cool for me to actually own. Whatever the reason, despite wanting the thing more than a trip to Disney World, it would be months before I fully incorporated the new machine into my daily routine.

So why do I bring this nugget of childhood anxiety to your attention? Because “The Bike Incident,” as it came to be known in my family, is similar to home medical equipment providers' initial reaction to using electronic certificates of medical necessity.

When I joined HomeCare in 1998, I got the impression from most HME providers that electronic CMNs would be a godsend for providers, physicians and the entire health care community. But, now that e-CMNs are actually close to becoming reality, some providers, particularly smaller ones, are suddenly becoming apprehensive about using the new technology.

The apprehension is unwarranted. e-CMNs are, from what I've seen, all upside with little downside. e-CMNs will play a significant role in lowering providers' days sales outstanding and will make it easier for honest providers to conduct business and more difficult for unscrupulous providers to bilk the system. Additionally, the cost associated with using e-CMNs are a fraction of the cost of time and money providers currently are saddled with in using the traditional paper system.

With that said, I would like to point HomeCare readers to page 37 of this issue, where contributing editor Denise McClinton further explains the debate surrounding e-CMNs.

I'm confident you'll agree after reading the article that e-CMNs will be a big win for HME providers. They're faster, less confusing and cost-effective. I just hope HME providers — finally getting what they want — will embrace the new system … and not be intimidated, start crying and run out of the room.