HME News is the monthly business newspaper for home medical equipment providers. This controlled circulation publication reaches 17,100 home medical equipment services providers, including traditional HME dealers & suppliers, hospital- and pharmacy-o
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VOLUME 21 — NUMBER 4 APRIL 2015 $7.00 HME NEWS POLL ■ Do right by people and it will pay off for your business, says Lalaina Rabary. See page 11. ■ Product Spotlight: This month we feature complex rehab products like Invacare's MyOn Wheelchair. See pages 21-22. ■ In light of the recent security breach at Anthem, are you concerned about the safety of your patient data? See results on page 31. N E W S ■ Bill paves way for face-to-face. PAGE 4 S M A RT TA L K ■ This month, one columnist tackles indemnifi cation clauses. PAGES 12-13 M E D T R A D E ■ It's no longer enough to build a retail showroom and fi ll it with products, says Maria Markusen. Baby boomers have higher expectations when they walk in the door. PAGE 23 D E PA RT M E N T S PROVIDERS ■ Providers refl ect on Round 2. PAGE 14 ■ Is your data safe? PAGE 14 MOBILITY ■ Bill would reclassify SGDs. PAGE 17 ■ Q&A;: Mark Schmeler. PAGE 18 RX & SPECIALTY PROVIDERS ■ BioScrip sees infusion growth. PAGE 19 ■ Study fi nds access issues. PAGE 19 VENDORS ■ Mediware launches CareTrend. PAGE 28 ■ Transcend fi nds new home. PAGE 28 W W W . H M E N E W S . C O M House fast tracks bidding reform bill Yelp for mobility FullCircle offers 'exit strategy' COMPETITIVE BIDDING AND "AUDIT NIGHTMARES" were on the agenda at a Feb. 15 meeting between South Dakotan providers and Sen. John Thune, R-S.D. "Sen. Thune was very interested in our facts and stories about the roll out of bid rates and the audit nightmares we have encoun- tered," said Kay Johnson, owner of Midwest Medical in Watertown. Y E L P S E E PA G E 1 8 BY THERESA FLAHERTY, Managing Editor WASHINGTON – Industry stakeholders in late February hailed a favorable vote that pushed legislation to reform the competitive bidding program a step closer to passage. "There's fi nally been recognition by key lawmakers that there's a problem that needs to be fi xed," said Tom Ryan, president and CEO of AAHomecare. The House Ways and Means Committee marked up H.R. 284, along with a handful of other non-controversial, bipartisan healthcare bills on Feb. 26 (see related story on page 4). The committee unanimously voted to pass the bill, which would require providers to obtain bid BY THERESA FLAHERTY, Managing Editor SHELBYVILLE, Ala. – There's a new buyer on the horizon with ambi- tious plans to roll up DME com- panies, but it has a very tight focus. "It's strictly an exit plan for small, rural businesses in the medical supply business," said Norm Frohreich, CEO of Full- Circle Registry. "It's as simple as that." FullCircle Registry, which had its start as a n e l e c t ro n i c medical records company, has launched Full- Circle Medical Louisiana Inc. to acquire sev- eral DME pro- viders in that state—and eventually others—for an equal combination of stock, notes and cash. FullCircle has named an acqui- sition manager in Louisiana and has been in talks with several HME providers in the state. Once it secures financing, it plans to move ahead with acquisi- tions—likely later this year, said Frohreich. "We're trying to put together a plan where everybody has skin in the game," he said. "We are a profit-sharing company, which provides a great deal of motiva- tion and productivity." BY TRACY ORZEL, Associate Editor TEA, S.D. – Founder Bob Lundin fi rst got the idea for Crytico. com, a review-based website for mobility products and ser- vices, two years ago during a dinner with friends in Mexico. After the meal, Lundin's w a i t re s s o ff e re d t o g i v e the group free desserts in exchange for leaving her a review on Yelp. "I said, 'Why don't we do that for mobility products?'" said Lundin. BY LIZ BEAULIEU, Editor F OR BOTH Quantum Rehab and Permobil, coming out with new seat elevation technology is a labor of love. The technology is not covered by Medicare, and only sometimes covered by other payers, such as Medicaid, private insurance and the Veterans Affairs. "Often we're too handcuffed by reimbursement," said Jean Sayre, senior director of R&D; and clinical development at Quantum Rehab and an occupational therapist and assistive technology professional. Q u a n t u m R e h a b in February released iLevel, a seat elevation technology available on the company's Q6 Edge 2.0 power wheelchair base. It elevates up to 10 inches in 24 seconds and, thanks to stabiliz- ing electronics and sus- pension, allows travel up to 3mph in an upright position. The company's previous technology elevated up to 10 inch- es at 40 to 45 seconds, and allowed travel up to 1.25mph. For Quantum, the driving force behind iLevel was fi lling a need in the market, Sayre says. But it would not apply to Round 2 re-compete J. Sadock CRYTICO has already attract- ed 1,200 reviews. Quantum, Permobil elevate technology PRIDE'S iLevel launched in February. S T R AT E G Y S E E PA G E 3 0 E L E VAT E S E E PA G E 3 0 B I D B I L L S E E PA G E 3 0 T H E B U S I N E S S N E W S P A P E R F O R H O M E M E D I C A L E Q U I P M E N T P R O V I D E R S