There is an old saying that a good reputation takes a lifetime to establish and a moment to lose. While the HME industry has certainly not lost its good reputation, it’s amazing how quickly bad news spreads. A case in point popped up while I was packing my suitcase for Medtrade.

The New York Times picked up an Associated Press report titled Repeating Medicare Fraud (page A14) and soon the report could be found in newspapers throughout the country. The unbylined item reports that “Medical equipment suppliers that defraud Medicare or operate without a proper license often have little trouble regaining billing privileges so they can do it all over again.” The report goes on to say that Government Accountability Office investigators found enough examples “to recommend that Congress consider specific waiting periods before suspended suppliers can regain bill-ing privileges.”

As I reflect on another dynamic Medtrade filled with innovation and dedication, this type of report makes me want to scream on behalf of the vast majority of honest and committed providers. On the manufacturing side, I saw products from companies big and small that continue to push the envelope of portability, durability, and efficiency. As the portable music industry has gone from CD players with limited capacity to ultra-slim MP3 players with 1,000-song capacities, so too has the HME industry. Bariatric chairs have greater strength but weigh less, while CPAP systems are more compact without sacrificing quality.

John Gallagher, director of government relations for the Van G. Miller Group, Waterloo, Iowa, announced VGM’s plans for a class-action lawsuit accusing CMS of forming a two-tier system through competitive bidding.

While this year’s Medtrade had an unmistakably “good vibe,” there was tension in the air. Comments from Cara Bachenheimer, JD, at this year’s Grassroots Central revealed the uneasy combination of frustration and hope that is the HME industry in late 2005. As Inva-care’s vice president of government relations, Bachenheimer showed her incomparable grasp of the issues along with a dry wit. “What we need CMS to do is pull back everything, not just the codes, but all of these power mobility device issues and consolidate them into one proposed regulation, so that we force CMS to have a rational implementation of these policies that are all connected,” said Bachenheimer. “Rationality and logic have a lot to do with this and people on the Hill do understand. When you explain what has happened, they say, ‘What are they [CMS] smoking over there?’”

Striking a more defiant tone, John Gallagher, director of government relations for the Van G. Miller (VGM) Group, in Waterloo, Iowa, announced VGM’s plans for a class-action lawsuit accusing CMS of forming a two-tier system through competitive bidding. For a more detailed account of Bachenheimer and Gallagher’s comments, see Medtrade Roundup on page 10.

While Bachenheimer and Gallagher filled the seats at Grassroots Central, there was a sense that both were “preaching to the choir.” State association leaders at the VGM-sponsored Grassroots Central reception agreed that the industry must go beyond the usual suspects and succeed in convincing rank-and-file providers to join the legislative fight.

HR 3559 (the bill to eliminate onerous provisions of competitive bidding) had 38 cosponsors at press time. When Medtrade returns to Atlanta on September 19, 2006, will the industry be celebrating the bill’s passage or lamenting its defeat? While you can’t control the outcome, it does not cost a thing to let elected officials know what you think. The decision is in your hands.

Greg Thompson
gthompson@ascendmedia.com