Features


The HME Dashboard

Products & Technology

The HME Dashboard

Reporting tools are incredibly invaluable for HME providers in terms of monitoring, and thusly managing, their businesses, and perhaps no tool better gives providers at-a-glance feedback on how their operations are performing across all departments than dashboards.

Back to the Drawing Board

Business Solutions

Back to the Drawing Board

NCB Round Two will force yet another upending of the O2 industry. How can providers transform themselves to survive — and succeed — this time around?

respiratory therapy survey

Oxygen Market

Getting the Lay of the Land

This year's annual respiratory therapy survey shows competitive bidding the top concern, with 43.9 percent of respondents calling it the homecare industry’s biggest challenge. The 36-month cap falls to fourth place, with 12.7 percent of respondents.

Retail Round-Up

Products & Technology

The Retail Round-Up

If your merchandising plan does not include pairing cash products with funded products for display in your showroom (and your catalog or other sales materials), you might be missing out on an opportunity to help recoup revenue being lost to cuts, caps and competitive bidding.

orthotics and prosthetics

Business Solutions

A Springboard into Orthotics & Prosthetics

Exploring the opportunities, considerations of diving into orthotics and prosthetics.

Successful Sleep Resupply Strategies

Sleep

Successful Sleep Resupply Strategies

Helping patients with compliance and effective therapy while helping you create new revenue streams.

Marketing

Business Solutions

Marketing Mastery

With each new industry cut or cap, providers fi nd it harder to keep and create customers. We examine how providers can implement a marketing strategy that will help them keep and create customers in good times and in bad.

Home Access

Products & Technology

Home Access Opportunities

Providing home access services allows providers ways to drive new revenues that aren’t impacted by CMS’s continual funding cuts, while simultaneously developing expertise that helps them differentiate their businesses. We take a room-by-room look at the various home access service and product opportunities available to them.

Retooling

Oxygen Profiles

Retooling for Survival

A look at oxygen providers who have overhauled their businesses to not only survive, but thrive.

Competitive Bidding

Business Solutions

Round Two Reality Check

The bidding window for Round Two opens this month, and providers must ensure they have a well thought-out strategy to stand even a ghost of a chance at getting a contract offer. How should they prepare while still fi ghting to stop NCB?



Surviving the Audit Tidal Wave

Products & Technology

Surviving the Audit Tidal Wave

Since the start of 2011, providers have been fending off a relentless onslaught of pre- and post-payment audits on Medicare claims. How can technology help them win this war of attrition?

Sleep Survey

Survey

Sleep: Still Growing

New HMEB study shows providers predict 7 percent growth this year, according to our latest sleep survey.

The HME Big Ten

Business Outlook

The Big 10

Once again, HME Business profiles key technologies, regulatory trends and market opportunities that will impact HME providers’ businesses this year. Some are items that have had an ongoing impact on providers, and others are new members to our annual list. What remains the same is the challenge providers face in dealing with massive changes while still striving to ensure their businesses continue to grow will providing quality service to their patients.

Cash Sales Preparedness

Business Solutions

Cash Sales Preparedness

As a variety of reimbursement cuts drive down provider revenues to the point that turning a profi t practically becomes untenable, they need new revenue sources. Fortunately, retail sales offer them a way to revitalize their bottom line. The only hitch is that providers face a steep learning curve they must surmount in short order — especially with Round Two of competitive bidding looming. How can they prepare their businesses for this new challenge?

Fast Track to Retail

Product & Technology

The Fast Track to Retail

Many providers are ready and willing to dive into retail sales, but they need an entry point. We review some key product categories that offer providers easy entry points into cash sales. We review not only categories that offer the simplest and quickest avenues into retail, but also categories that offer a growth track toward more lucrative offerings as they gain experience and expertise.

Flexible Software for HME

Products & Technology Annual Software Roundup

A Foundation for Flexibility

HME software is becoming a strategic necessity for survival and success in this industry, especially when it comes to the run-up to Round Two of competitive bidding. Round Two’s sheer size makes it an unknown challenge. We look at features from today’s software offerings to see how they can help providers prepare now for a still-unfolding tomorrow .

Building a Multi-Talented Team

Business Solutions

Building a Multi-Talented Team

Providers are facing tough management challenges these days: not only do they have to lay off valued team members in the face of reimbursement cuts, but they must do so without crushing staff morale. Moreover, they must also learn how to inspire and motivate remaining employees to take on new responsibilities. What are the solutions?

Respiratory providers competitive bidding

Respiratory and Sleep Funding Outlook

School of Hard Knocks

If Round Two wasn’t on respiratory providers’ radar, it probably is now, making it a good time to look at the recent past to peer into the near future.

Disease Management

Disease Management

Hard Decisions

To HME providers and the industry as a whole, disease management has become a casualty of cuts, caps and competitive bidding.

Competitive Bidding Crossroads

Business Solutions

Competitive Bidding Crossroads

The industry finds itself at a crossroads when it comes to the fight against competitive bidding. The toxic program clearly needs to be repealed, but the current political environment might not be hospitable to that proposal. Can the industry live with a middle ground solution?

HME Business Podcast