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 23 — NUMBER 9 SEPTEMBER 2017 $7.00 HME NEWS POLL ■ We need to make home accessibility a national issue, says Louis Tenenbaum. See page 18. ■ Product Spotlight: This month we feature pediatric products, including the Pediatric Foam Collar from Alex Orthopedic. See page 25-26. ■ Has a managed care organization successfully implemented a single-source contract for any DME and/or supplies in your state? See results on page 30 N E W S ■ States single-source more DME. PAGE 4 ■ Contract promotes 'favoritism.' PAGE 4 ■ AAHomecare survey to dig deeper into access issues. PAGE 4 C O M M E N TA RY ■ Medtrade needs to bring back complex rehab training so that therapists can get the education they need to succeed, says Cindi Petito. PAGE 10 D E PA RT M E N T S PROVIDERS ■ Health Complex rebrands. PAGE 15 ■ Apria letter puts grandfathering in spotlight. PAGE 15 MOBILITY ■ Separate benefi t back in play. PAGE 18 ■ NSM strives to be 'employer of choice.' PAGE 18 RX & SPECIALTY PROVIDERS ■ Senate introduces home infusion bill. PAGE 20 ■ Q&A;: Harry 'J.R.' Brandt PAGE 20 VENDORS ■ MK Battery powers event. PAGE 27 ■ ResMed sets high expectations for mask sales. PAGE 27 W W W . H M E N E W S . C O M Industry greases wheels for action 'Pick up pace' for manuals Invacare's ready Nothing pleased Invacare CEO Matt Monaghan more than to stand in the bed of a pick-up truck owned by Dean Childers, who heads up the company's North American operations, in the parking lot at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 25, and announce by megaphone to hundreds of employees that they were fully back in business. See story page 27. Home Health Depot pulls final trigger UPSTEP MODERNIZES CUSTOM ORTHOTICS BUSINESS LEGISLATIVE LANDSCAPE BY THERESA FLAHERTY, Managing Editor I NDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS have legislative language being vet- ted that would freeze payment rates at the Jan. 1, 2016, amounts and fi x the so-called "double-dip" for oxygen payments. The news came on the eve of the August recess, a time when HME providers planned to turn up the heat on lawmakers while they're back in their home districts. "Get them to understand this language s o w h e n t h e House of Rep- r e s e n t a t i v e s comes back in September the legislation can b e d r o p p e d with bi-partisan s u p p o rt , " s a i d Tom Ryan, president and CEO of AAHomecare. Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, R-Wash., has agreed to sponsor the legislation. Stakeholders are working to get a Democratic co-sponsor. Providers in New England planned to do their part to get the word out. The state association representing HME providers in six states lined up nearly a dozen appointments—many with the representatives themselves. BY LIZ BEAULIEU, Editor WASHINGTON – Complex rehab stakeholders scored a big win when CMS used its authority to stop reimbursement cuts for accessories for complex power wheelchairs, but their job is only half done. Stakeholders now expect legislation in the House of Representatives to be intro- duced in September, following the congressional recess, that would stop c o m p e t i - t i v e b i d - ding-relat- ed cuts for accessories f o r c o m - plex man- ual wheelchairs that went into effect on Jan. 1, 2016. "We're picking up the pace on that issue," said Don Clay- back, executive director of NCART. BY LIZ BEAULIEU, Editor INDIANAPOLIS – With the econo- my humming and private equity money flowing, Home Health Depot's Nate Feltman says the time was right to sell the last of the company's business to Clear- water, Fla.-based Lincare. Previously, Home Health Depot BY THERESA FLAHERTY, Managing Editor NEW YORK – When a trio of sib- lings decided to launch a start- up, Limor Katz's nearly lifelong experience with foot pain led her and her two brothers to custom orthotics. "I was in terrible pain—every day I would have to come home and rest my feet," said Katz, co- founder and CMO of Upstep, an online custom orthotics service. "Custom orthotics changed my 'We're in a very good market to sell,' says Feltman sold its complex rehab and home access business- es to Nation- al Seating & Mobility in 2014 and 2016, and its hospice busi- ness to National Karyn Estrella LIMOR KATZ is co- founder of Upstep, an online cus- tom orthot- ics biz. Nate Feltman life. I don't remember what foot pain is now." After a soft launch in 2016, Upstep announced its official launch in June. The company's custom orthotics cost, on average, Senate bill also expect- ed for sepa- rate benefi t for complex rehab See story page 18 PAY M E N T F R E E Z E S E E PA G E 8 M A N U A L W H E E L S S E E PA G E 1 9 H H D S E L L S S E E PA G E 1 6 U P S T E P C U S T O M I Z E S S E E PA G E 2 9 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