Long-time editors Liz Beaulieu and Tracy Orzel discuss the HME industry’s top news, and call on experts to provide context and add color to the stories they’re writing for HME News. It’s everything you’ve come to expect from HME News, just in podcast form, in about 10 minutes or less. HME News, www.hmenews.com, is the leading source of news for the home medical equipment industry.
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10, sponsored by Brightree. Operational metrics like touch rates, completion rates and staff efficiency remain important in resupply, but are they the right measures of success? In this episode, Sanam Mehta, director of product management for SNAP Resupply at Brightree, discusses why providers should focus less on activity and more on…
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10, sponsored by Parachute Health. In this episode, Rob Boeye, executive vice president of HME for Parachute Health, breaks down how embracing technology in the ordering process can help you capture and win business with not only clinicians, but also payers and health systems. Boeye emphasizes that in the current environment of shifting referral source,…
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10, sponsored by Rhythm Healthcare. In this episode, Mitch Yoel, chief operating officer at Rhythm Healthcare, shares what it really takes for durable medical equipment (DME) providers to rise to the top of a hospital’s referral list. His starting point is simple but critical: Does your messaging sound transactional, or does it sound clinical and…
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10, sponsored by Tactical Back Office. Today’s guest is Lauren Barranti, payor relations with Tactical Back Office. Long-term price compression, closed payer networks and third-party administrator models create burdens for smaller HME providers, who may not have the resources to juggle everything from credentialing and contracting to managed care…
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10, sponsored by Prochant. Today’s guest is Ronda Buhrmester, vice president of client experience, for Prochant. As a 30-year veteran of the HME industry, she knows intake has always been a headache, but today it’s a full-blown pressure point that’s on a collision course with surging referrals, increasingly complex payer rules and ongoing staffing…
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10, sponsored by Brightree. Today’s guest is Justin Lewis, senior director of Brightree’s ReSupply LiveCall Service. He offers a reality check on AI and how to use it in a way that actually improves patient experience. “We put a lot of thought into how a call should actually feel from the patient’s perspective – where it should start, how we should ask…
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10, sponsored by DDP Medical Supply. Today’s guest, Brian O’Neill, president of DDP Medical Supply, says providers of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) are at a fork in the road. With the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) adding CGMs to the next round of the Medicare competitive bidding program, providers must choose: • Step away before…
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10, sponsored by Rhythm Healthcare. Today’s guest, Mitch Yoel, COO of Rhythm Healthcare, pulls back the curtain on what he calls the “hidden economy” of portable oxygen concentrators (POCs). Beyond the purchase price, providers often absorb the cost-of-service calls, tech labor, RMAs, loaners and downtime – expenses that can crush margins. Yoel’s advice:…
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10 sponsored and developed by Strategic Office Support (SOS). Today’s guest is Steve Cela, CEO of SOS. He joins HME News in 10 to expose the invisible workflow leaks quietly draining revenue from even the best HME providers. His message is clear: It’s not staffing or reimbursement holding you back - it’s the leaks you can’t see. In this episode, Cela…
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10 sponsored and developed by Direct Supply. In this episode of HME News in 10, Nick Bush, vice president of sales, Smart Products & Special Markets, at Direct Supply, explores how the growing trend of consumerism in health care is strengthening—not weakening—the role of HME providers. “I think a big portion of it goes to the service side of it,” he…
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10 sponsored and developed by Rhythm Healthcare. In this episode of HME News in 10, Doug Francis, CEO of Rhythm Healthcare, talks about the HME “trailblazers” who are embracing portable oxygen concentrators. “This is a provider who has invested, not only in the efficiencies that can be derived from POCs, but also turning that into clinical messaging to…
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10 sponsored and developed by ACU-Serve. In this episode of HME News in 10 Jim Dragatsis, president of resupply at ACU-Serve, drills into the art of patient engagement and its impact on the success of an HME provider’s resupply program. What makes a resupply program thrive? Dragatsis shares how providers must tailor their communication strategies to…
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10 sponsored and developed by Prochant. Today’s guest is Joey Graham, CEO of Prochant. He joins HME News in 10 to talk about why revenue cycle management (RCM) is at the heart of the financial stability of HME providers, especially as they play “whack-a-mole" with new challenges like Medicaid cuts. He also talks about addressing the “silent killers” in…
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10 sponsored and developed by Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation. Today’s guest is Harold Davis, director of survey services for the Healthcare Quality Association on Accreditation. He joins HME News in 10 to talk about how accreditation improves patient care. “Most providers want to do things right,” he said. “Most are accepting of the…
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10 sponsored and developed by Brightree. Today’s guest is Noel Tauzin, head of revenue cycle management for Brightree. He joins HME News in 10 to talk about how, when providers marry the power of technology with outsourced services, that’s “where the magic happens.” It unlocks their efficiency and growth, deepens their patient care, allows them to keep…
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10 sponsored and developed by MSI Health Solutions. Today’s guest is Zeb Pirzada, president and CEO of MSI Health Solutions. Pirzada joins HME News in 10 to discuss the value of providers taking a hard look at operational costs to find savings through outsourcing, including delivery services. As a former provider himself, Pirzada speaks their language,…
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10 sponsored and developed by Strategic Office Support. Today’s guest is Steve Cela, president of Strategic Office Support (SOS). He joins HME News in 10 to talk about how HME providers should look at their workflow and revenue cycle management as a machine that needs to be optimized and continually maintained. “It's beautiful to see, right, when you see…
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10 sponsored and developed by Brightree. Today’s guest is Addison Perrymond, head of product management for Brightree. He joins HME News in 10 to talk about why HME providers need to mine technology for “strategic transformation tools that deliver real business outcomes.” “What we find is that our customers are looking at individual tasks and trying to…
With a new Congress and a new administration in place, Tom Ryan and Jay Witter of AAHomecare return to the HME News in 10 podcast to talk strategy on the year ahead. They are already mapping out how to tackle the industry’s biggest priorities, including blended reimbursement rates, by engaging lawmakers, policymakers and even the D.O.G.E. "This is the 119th Congress,” says Ryan. “Let's put a star…
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10 sponsored and developed by Numotion. Tim Casey, general counsel for Numotion, joins HME News in 10 to discuss the challenges with current CRT (complex rehab technology) service and repair, and the need for reform. One of the many challenges that people with disabilities face every day is a broken service and repair model. Casey discusses the primary…
Today's guest is Dr. Shalini Paruthi, MD, a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) who is board-certified in sleep medicine and internal medicine. She joins HME News in 10 to talk about how the current explosion in sleep technology is increasing awareness – and access – for consumers. “The most important thing is, we’re having a conversation about their sleep,” she said. “Consumer…
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10 sponsored and developed by Prochant. Today’s guest is Joey Graham, chief revenue officer for Prochant. He joins HME News in 10 to talk about why artificial intelligence is no longer science fiction and how even health care and HME, which typically lag other industries in tech adoption, are finally catching on. He talks about how AI and automation…
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10 sponsored and developed by ACU-Serve. Today’s guest is Kyle Neese, recently named senior account executive at ACU-Serve. He joins HME News in 10 to talk about his resupply journey - from AllCall Connect, which was bought by Brightree, to React Health and now to ACU-Serve - and the importance of finding that "happy medium" between leveraging…
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10 sponsored and developed by Advanced Diabetes Supply. Today’s guest is Bill Mixon, CEO of Advanced Diabetes Supply. He joins HME News in 10 to talk about how ADS helps both health care providers and patients navigate the complex insurance landscape of diabetes technology and how the company empowers patients to make informed decisions about their…
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10 sponsored and developed by Tactical Back Office. Today’s guest is Todd Usher, founder of Tactical Back Office. He joins HME News in 10 to talk about how TBO and a new company, Tactical Call Center, are expanding and customizing their offerings while staying in their lane as staffing agencies. He also talks about why it's important that staff get…
Today’s guest is Ryan Wood, chief information security officer for VGM Group. He joins HME News in 10 to talk about how the cybersecurity and infrastructure landscape is quickly evolving, what will make Change Healthcare-like cyberattacks more common and why ChatGPT and the like are both a blessing and a curse. Hosts: Liz Beaulieu Theresa Flaherty Guest: Ryan Wood
Today’s guest is Roxanne Venard, a registered respiratory therapist and president of Ascent Respiratory Care. She joins HME News in 10 to discuss lessons learned through several years of upheaval in the respiratory market. There’s no need to go it alone, she says. “Just get everyone on your team involved and you’ll make it through the tough times.” Hosts: Liz Beaulieu Theresa Flaherty Guest:…
Today’s guest is Justin Mortara, president and CEO of EnsoData. He joins HME News in 10 to talk about how the company’s new strategic partnership with React Health allows its AI technology to cross over from the sleep testing to the sleep therapy space, maximining its ability to “make health care better.” Mortara also discusses the importance of predicting, versus reacting to, a person’s…
Since leaving AdaptHealth, Gary Sheehan has “leaned into” a few different things, including joining Darby as a growth advisor and launching Scorton Creek Capital. His goal: Helping the HME industry, which he was born into, leverage technology to deliver more care in the home. Sheehan joins HME News in 10 to talk about where he sees opportunity for the industry to be more broadly connected to the…
Dexter Braff, founder & president of The Braff Group, returns to HME News in 10 to talk about current trends in M&A. Hear what Braff has to say about why it’s more expensive to complete an acquisition these days, what buyers and sellers are doing to get deals across the finish line and why M&A remains an important piece of the growth strategy for companies Hosts: Liz Beaulieu Theresa Flaherty…
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10 sponsored and developed by SleepRes. Today’s guest is Kami Harold, vice president of sales for SleepRes, which makes the V-Com, a small device that softens peak respiratory flow for patients using CPAP therapy. She joins HME News in 10 to talk about how the company’s founder, Dr. William H. Noah, took a deep dive into engineering and physics to…
Jason Kelln, an ATP and CRTS who is the sales manager at PrairieHeart Mobility in Saskatchewan, joins HME News in 10 to talk about being named the first president-elect of NRRTS from Canada. He shares why the organization wants a “bigger stage” beyond North America and how, regardless of geography, the common goal should be having certified professionals, quality products and fair reimbursement.…
Andrea Stark, a Medicare consultant and reimbursement specialist for MiraVista, returns to HME News in 10 to talk about all things Medicare Advantage. We take a deep dive into increasing enrollment; increasing single-source contracts, including Humana’s with AdaptHealth and Rotech; and increasing scrutiny by the government. Stark says the system is not broken, but HME providers – “an extremely…
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10 sponsored and developed by Computers Unlimited. Today’s guest is David Schaer, president of Computers Unlimited. Schaer joins HME News in 10 to talk about how artificial intelligence is redefining what business management solutions can do – whether it’s extracting data from medical documentation or predicting health services based on prior history.…
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10 sponsored and developed by Tactical Back Office. Today’s guest is Todd Usher, founder of Tactical Back Office. He joins HME News in 10 to talk about how he launched the remote staffing company in 2019, after successfully leveraging employees based in the Philippines to reduce shortages and decrease costs at his own HME company. He also talks about the…
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10 sponsored and developed by VGM Insurance Services. Today’s guest is Blair Eichenberger, vice president of marketing for VGM Insurance Services. She joins HME News in 10 to talk about the Cs of workers’ compensation: cost, claims process, coverage network and compliance. She also talks about how a holistic approach to workers’ comp is about more than a…
Today's guest is Allen Hunt, president of Hart Medical Equipment, a health system-owned HME provider in Southfield, Mich. He joins HME News in 10 to talk about why conversations with referral sources shouldn't be about saving on the cost of a walker but about speeding up access to care - the true source of cost savings. He also talks about the HME provider’s role as an extension of the health…
Today’s guest is Ryan Colby, who spent seven years at Uber and who is now head of go-to-market for Tomorrow Health. He joins HME News in 10 to talk about how companies with marketplaces like Uber and Tomorrow Health “succeed or fail based on how well they serve the supply side” – a big reason why he’s spending a lot of his time meeting with and getting feedback from HME providers. Colby also talks…
Today’s guests are familiar names in the industry: Tom Ryan and Jay Witter of AAHomecare. They join HME News in 10 to talk about the industry’s recent wins in Congress and AAHomecare’s plan to build on those wins in the year ahead. A big part of that plan? Cultivating relationships on the Hill, from congressional staffers to party leaders. Hosts: Liz Beaulieu Theresa Flaherty Guests: Tom Ryan Jay…
Today’s guest is Alex Hoopes, director of Healthcare Innovation for Cardinal Health at-Home Solutions. Hoopes joins HME News in 10 to talk about the “signals” pointing to hospital-at-home as the next frontier in health care and Cardinal Health’s efforts to build the middle- and last-mile infrastructure needed to make it an increasing reality. He also talks about how the transition will take “an…
Welcome to a special episode of HME News in 10 sponsored and developed by McKesson. Our guest is Bonnie Jablonowski, director of product and portfolio management for McKesson. She talks about the benefits of leveraging connected patient engagement technology to free up staff from having to manually call patients for resupplies, key in orders, confirm insurance and more. For more information, go to…
Today’s guest is Annie Erstling, chief strategy officer at Forcura, a health care workflow management company. Erstling joins HME News in 10 to talk about using technology to bridge the communication gap between payers and providers, and not waiting until your story is perfect to start building those relationships. Hosts: Liz Beaulieu Theresa Flaherty Guest: Annie Erstling
Today’s guest is John Gallagher, vice president of government relations for VGM. Gallagher, who’s racked up several million travel miles in his 20 years on the job, joins HME News in 10 to talk about what it’s really like to be an “HME Road Warrior.” Find out why “all politics are local,” the benefits of not traveling light, and why it’s important to have a dog. Hosts: Liz Beaulieu Theresa…
Today’s guest is Tyler Riddle, CEO of MRS Homecare, a Georgia-based full-line home medical equipment provider. Riddle joins HME News in 10 to talk about why the needle is finally moving in Washington, D.C., on the importance and benefits of HME, and how the 22-year-old staffers working in congressional offices “rule this country.” Come for the lobbying advice; stay for the Dax Shepard and Coen…
Today’s guest is Dr. Jennifer Martin, who was recently named president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s board of directors. Dr. Martin joins HME News in 10 to discuss why good sleep is the “secret sauce” to good health and how recent challenges in the CPAP market should have everyone taking a step back to ask, “What’s best for the patient?” Hosts: Liz Beaulieu Theresa Flaherty Guest:…
Today’s guest is Brad Smith, a managing partner at Vertess. Smith joins HME News in 10 to talk about why deal activity was slower than he anticipated in Q1 – his firm closed three deals – but will heat up, particularly in Q2 and Q4. He also talks about the role of the $2 trillion worth of liquidity in the financial market right now and valuations that are “creeping down but still robust.” Hosts:…
Today’s guest is Boone Lockard, the new director of VGM Respiratory, who has spent 12 years working on both the provider and manufacturer aisles of the industry. Lockard joins HME News in 10 to talk about why there’s a light at the end of the tunnel for the CPAP market, how the new NCD for oxygen will be a “big win” and why there’s promise in resurging value-based care models. Hosts: Liz Beaulieu…
Today’s guest is Laura Williard, vice president of payer relations for AAHomecare. Williard joins HME News in 10 to talk about how the growing Medicare Advantage market creates opportunities for HME providers. With more insurers entering the market – many of them smaller and more willing to think outside the box – providers have a better chance of getting in-network, developing close…
Today’s guest is Dexter Braff, president of The Braff Group, a health care M&A advisory firm. Braff joins HME News in 10 to talk about Owens & Minor’s planned acquisition of Apria and how the deal represents the “end of an era” for M&A in the HME industry. Listen to find out why the deal’s estimated $1.45 billion value is not what it seems and how it’s another sign of the seismic shift toward more…
Today’s guest is Andrea Stark, the founder and head of reimbursement at MiraVista LLC. Andrea joins HME News in 10 to talk about the biggest development in the HME industry in 2021: a new national coverage determination for home oxygen therapy that expands coverage to acute conditions and cluster headaches, and eliminates the CMN requirement. “We haven’t experienced a coverage expansion like this…