John and June McCarthy thought their bad luck was over after Hurricane Wilma swept over their HME business in late October of last year. They were wrong.

While they escaped Wilma relatively unscathed (but without power and gas for a while), bad luck returned a month later when the business owner next door burned down his establishment for the insurance money. The blaze spread and severely damaged the McCarthys’ beloved business, Affordable Medical Supply, Tamarac, Fla.

Just prior to the fire, the McCarthys were only 2 weeks shy of a grand opening to celebrate a recent remodeling. June had fancy invitations readied for the occasion, but those were reduced to ashes like much of their building. Since the shop is now a crime scene, they are still in a state of limbo. However, it is a limbo that amazingly has not affected their dedication to patients.

After the fire, good insurance was crucial to maintaining the business, sometimes from their own garage. If you never paid attention to your insurance policy before, a fire is the ultimate motivation. The McCarthys learned valuable insurance lessons from their ordeal and they will share them next month. Stay tuned.

Subtract the twin disasters of severe weather and arson, and you still have a whirlwind of legislative challenges. And there is no doubt that the industry has taken its lumps lately in Washington, DC. Or as editorial board member Don White put it, “We have had our ‘butts’ handed to us.” However, in the same breath, White (a past chairman of AAHomecare) is quick to add that “The glass may be cracked, but it is still half full.” It’s that kind of optimism that can spur the industry to get off the mat for some Rocky-like comebacks in 2006.

This month’s cover subject, Tom Mullaney, is at the forefront of that fight in his efforts leading the Ohio Association of Medical Equip-ment Services (OAMES). The mild-mannered Mullaney shows his Midwest moxie when it counts most: battling the bureaucrats who consistently fail to understand the value of home care.

Along with the influential OAMES, state associations and buying groups throughout the land are turning their attentions to HR 3559 in an effort to eliminate onerous provisions of competitive bidding. The President’s latest budget is yet another battleground in the crucial year that is 2006.

Ultimately, the key for providers is getting the answers they need to grow their businesses and thrive in uncertain times. To provide more of those crucial answers, Dealer/Provider is starting an Internet-only feature we call Expert Insight (EI). Unlike a typical news story where we decide what is relevant, EI allows you to ask a distinguished panel of experts (for free) about whatever is on your mind. All answers will be posted on the Web site in a timely manner, and will be available for the benefit of all viewers. Go to www.hhcdealer.com to ask your question today.

Greg Thompson
Editor