HMEB Podcasts
The HME Business podcast offers an insider’s view into the home medical equipment (HME) industry. Host David Kopf, the executive editor of HME Business magazine and HME-business.com, examines key HME news, trends and developments, and interviews various experts to find out how HME provider owners and operators can run efficient, profitable and growing businesses while providing service and care that cements lasting patient and referral relationships. If you’re an HME industry professional, and you want to stay in the loop about smart business strategy and tactics, this podcast will become a regular listen for you.
Oct 29, 2019
This is the first of three special, post-Medtrade episodes. As many providers know, CMS has added non-invasive ventilators to Round 2021 of competitive bidding. Jay Witter, senior vice president of public policy for AAHomecare, discusses the work done thus far to convince CMS to reverse its worrying course of action, as well as CMS's lack of a viable response, which has culminated in a pending legislative fix. What should you know, and how can you protect this benefit and the patients that need it?
Duration: 12 min
Oct 30, 2019
This is the second of three special, post-Medtrade episodes. Third-party administrators (TPAs) are increasingly getting involved in Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) and often run right past protections for providers. Furthermore there have been some business developments in the MCO-TPA world that are compounding this problem. Laura Williard VP of payer relations for AAHomecare, provides all the details on the situation; sheds light on what’s being done to combat this problem; and outlines what providers should do to protect their businesses.
Duration: 10 min
Nov 15, 2019
This is the final installment of three special, post-Medtrade episodes. Kim Brummett, vice president of regulatory affairs for the American Association for Homecare, sheds some light on a proposed rule by HHS to loosen the regulatory prohibitions against physician self-referrals when it comes to DME. Brummett talks about what this could mean for providers and how the industry is approaching the issue. While the situation is still coming it to focus, it is already concerning.
Duration: 6 min
Dec 04, 2019
Back in 2013, when HME providers were making tentative steps into retail sales, Wayne Slavitt decided to go all-in with his retail-only mobility and home medical equipment store Mobül: The Mobility Store in Long Beach, Calif. Since then, as founder and CEO, Slavitt has continued to sharpen his retail sales game. In this episode, Wayne sits down with HMEB to discuss various retail insights he’s learned, including having compelling combination of service-oriented sales; creating a product mix that appeals to all walks of consumers; and a store that emphasizes interaction and compassion.
Duration: 27 min
Dec 13, 2019
The industry is working on attaching language from some key industry bills to a spending bill that must pass before Dec. 20. However, the bills need more co-sponsors, and that’s where help from providers is urgently needed. Tom Ryan, the president and CEO of the American Association for Homecare, discusses the key bills in play and how HMEs can help get co-sponsors. This is a key opportunity to lobby on behalf of your business, but there’s a tight deadline, so listen and act fast.
Duration: 13 min
Dec 20, 2019
Annual HME conference and expo Medtrade Spring returns to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas on March 3-5, and Show Director Mark Lind joins the HME Business Podcast to highlight some of the event's don’t-miss conference sessions and expo showcases. There are some familiar favorites and some new twists at the event for HME providers in the West, so if you’re thinking of going, it’s worth a listen.
Duration: 14 min
Mar 23, 2020
As with all other facets of U.S. healthcare, the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the HME industry in a big way. Gary Sheehan, MBA, president and CEO of Cape Medical Supply, explains in detail how his business prepared in terms of staff protection, patient care, teleworking, and operations. Moreover, he discusses why the preparations providers are making right now aren’t just to keep their businesses running, but because they are on the front lines of a broad, national healthcare response to the disease.
Duration: 17 min
Mar 27, 2020
One group of HME providers having to face COVID-19 head on are oxygen providers. The patients they serve are some of the most vulnerable to the disease. Josh Parnes, president of national provider AdaptHealth, which provides a full suite of HME supplies and services, including in-home and portable Oxygen, ventilation and CPAP and BIPAP, outlines the various steps his business has taken to protect both patients and staff during the pandemic. He also explains why providers must convince Congress and CMS to protect patient access to oxygen equipment during COVID-19.
Duration: 22 min
Apr 09, 2020
In this special episode, accreditation expert Sandra Canally, RN, founder and CEO of The Compliance Team, joins the podcast to provide a mountain of specific, how-to information on how HME providers can implement processes and procedures that will help protect their patients and staff, while continuing to provide care and services. She reviews practices HME businesses should implement at the storefront, in the warehouse, and out in the field. Be sure to keep a pen and notepad handy, because Sandy shares a ton of practical information.
Duration: 31 min
Sponsored by Compliance Team
Mar 31, 2020
An in-depth effort to interview more than 20 HME providers of varying types and business models has uncovered common responses to COVID-19 being implemented across the industry. Ty Bello, president of HME sales and management consulting firm Team @Work, joins the HMEB Podcast to discuss his qualitative survey, which covered COVID-19 protocols for all aspects of HME: sales; engaging with patients at the business and in the home; telehealth; deliveries; working with referral providers; and operations. This is a must-listen episode for all providers wishing to adopt COVID-19 best practices learned by other HME businesses, as well as gauge the effectiveness of their initial efforts.
Duration: 25 min
Sponsored by PlayMaker Health
Apr 21, 2020
Sponsored by McKesson, our special COVID-19 coverage continues with a deep dive into the many regulatory changes at the Federal and state level — as well as with private payer insurance — to help HME providers continue serving patients during the pandemic. The American Association for Homecare’s Kim Brummett, regulatory affairs VP, and Laura Williard, payer relations VP, join the podcast to discuss the $30 billion relief fund, relaxed funding requirements, telehealth guidelines, the pause on audits and more.
Duration: 30 min
Sponsored by McKesson Corp.
May 08, 2020
New York respiratory, sleep and HME provider Hampton Homecare Inc. has found itself at ground zero of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as its director of operations, Joe Candiano has overseen the company’s response to the public health emergency in terms of deliveries, equipment-handling, patient set-up, telehealth, staffing and other aspects of the business. Joe talks about the measures his business has taken, the sacrifices his team has made, and the lasting industry-wide changes he thinks will result from COVID-19.
Duration: 33 min
Jun 01, 2020
Providers and vendors have deployed a lot of smart care tools and solutions during COVID-19. What happens after the crisis passes? Arturo Garcia, senior product manager of connected solutions for sleep therapy equipment maker ResMed, joins the podcast to look at how sleep therapy providers are leveraging virtual and digital solutions during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how those new protocols and care methods will improve sleep therapy in the post-pandemic future.
Duration: 28 min
Sponsored by ResMed
Jul 27, 2020
Tom Ryan, president and CEO of the American Association for Homecare, stops by to discuss two key items:
First, he shines a spotlight on the association’s Ambassador Program, a unique effort by high-profile industry stakeholders to get more HME providers involved in the association.
Second, he discusses the current effort to get HME stakeholders to help convince lawmakers to sign a House sign-on letter calling on CMS to delay Round 2021 of competitive bidding. The deadline is July 29.
Duration: 25 min
Aug 26, 2020
Do you have a free five minutes between now and Aug. 31? Then you have time to protect a vulnerable patient group. Don Clayback, executive director of the National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology (NCART), sits down with HMEB to discuss a campaign to convince lawmakers to add their signatures to a House sign-on letter urging CMS to not apply competitive bidding-derived pricing to accessories for manual complex rehab wheelchairs.
Duration: 13 min
Sep 18, 2020
Back on March 30, CMS suspended its claims audits for the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Well, CMS surprised everyone in August by announcing it would resume those audits.
Audit expert Wayne van Halem, president of The van Halem Group, discusses how CMS will likely phase back in the DME MAC Targeted Probe and Education, Supplemental Medical Review Contractor (SMRC) reviews and Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) audits. He also outlines how providers should prepare, and tackles additional questions.
Duration: 22 min
Nov 06, 2020
After weeks of radio silence, CMS finally announced Round 2021 and its proposed rule for rural providers. The announcement was shocking: it was only bidding two categories — both over-the-shelf braces — and punting on the 13 remaining categories. That news left the industry feeling somewhat in limbo and wondering what this meant for pricing and the possibility of futures rounds. Tom Ryan, president and CEO of the American Association for Homecare stopped by the HME Business podcast to clarify, share some insights, and chart a path forward.
Duration: 20 min
Oct 20, 2020
Sleep therapy is a perfect micro that defines the macro of HME when it comes to COVID-19. Sleep therapy providers have had to ascend a steep learning curve to reshape how they safely and effectively provide products and services. Now that we are seven months into the public health emergency, Gary Sheehan, MBA, CEO of Spiro Health, catches up with the podcast. He discusses sleep care, COVID-19, the lessons sleep providers have learned, and how those lessons might carry them into a post-pandemic future.
Duration: 16 min
Jan 15, 2021
It's 2021, and with the New Year comes an accreditation renewal cycle for most DMEPOS providers. What do providers need to be thinking about this year and how should they be preparing? How has COVID-19 altered the accreditation process? What other factors could impact how providers proceed? Accreditation expert Sandra C. Canally, RN, the CEO and founder of accreditation organization The Compliance Team, shares her knowledge on these topics and more.
Duration: 26 min
Dec 03, 2020
The New Year is nearly upon us, and 2021 represents another big renewal year for DMEPOS accreditation. Moreover, during these three-year renewal cycles, providers often consider switching up their accreditation organization (AO). What are some the reasons that might make a provider consider switching things up? Is COVID-19 playing a role in that decision? What are the timing issues in play? What should they be asking AOs? Sandra C. Canally, RN, CEO and founder of AO The Compliance Team, shares her insights.
Duration: 23 min