WATERLOO, Iowa (May 12, 2022)—VGM & Associates routinely monitors environmental factors that impact home medical equipment (HME) providers and their ability to effectively provide their products and services to patients who need and rely on them.
VGM surveyed members requesting updates of the costs of delivering home medical equipment as well as additional information relative to recent operational challenges such as supply change issues, employee wages, product acquisition cost increases, freight cost increases and personal protective equipment (PPE). VGM also inquired as to the current wage levels of three common positions (delivery technician, billing personnel and office staff) due to reports of required overtime, higher employee benefits packages and difficulty maintaining sufficient staffing.
The 2021 Home Medical Equipment Delivery Cost Report was shared with elected officials and officials at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The 2021 report highlighted the total costs associated with providing equipment such as oxygen, hospital beds, mobility equipment and more to patients’ homes both before and during the public health emergency (PHE). Officials then requested that VGM follow-up with questions relative to certain other PHE affiliated burdens which might affect access to appropriate patient service.
Click here to view the 2022 results. The responses are regionalized by geographical area and there is a breakdown by company size: Small (1-10 employees), medium (11-50 employees), and large (+51 employees).
The data was sorted and arranged by Mark Higley, V-P of regulatory affairs for VGM Government.
“While I suspected the various costs and related factors in securing appropriate HME delivery services would increase—as compared to our previous two surveys—I underestimated the cumulative pressures on the business operations of these companies,” said Higely. “I anticipated the higher vehicle expenses (due to the large fuel increases) but was rather stunned by the array of ancillary demands (e.g., supply chain, surcharges, freight, overtime, etc.) facing these most critical organizations serving the most cost-effective patient population.”
