I wanted so much to cover the competitive bidding final rule in this issue. I watched the CMS Web site, scanned my news services, and prepared to yell, “Stop the presses!” Alas, no rule came. A reliable source told me “the third week of December.” So even as you peruse this final issue of 2006, it is likely you are still waiting (check www.hhcdealer.com daily for updates).

How can you prepare for something that goes into effect on January 1, 2007, when the final rule has not even come out as of press time? Good question. All I can say is that we will help you get up to speed by giving you the tools and strategies for success in the competitive bidding era.

Situations like the one above illustrate why we will no longer be publishing our long-running Industry News in our print version. Instead, we will continue to rely on the timely nature of the Internet via the Top News section on our Web site. Indeed, timeliness is the difference between news and old news.

While fresh news is important, I believe it is not enough to merely tell readers what happened. Instead, I want you to know what can be done about it. How are other providers coping and succeeding despite shrinking reimbursements and complex rules? There is so much to learn, and yet you must still run a business. That’s where we come in. We’ll be looking for those tools and strategies to help you distill the information that matters most to your success.

As I look back on 2006, I see the hard work of industry road warriors yielding measurable results. Just a year earlier in July 2005, Lisa M. Getson (Apria) and Vernon R. Pertelle (Tri-City Hospital District) wrote about a new level of receptivity in the halls of Congress. The industry seized on this mood and translated it to real victories.

CMS revised draconian power mobility cuts, the final rule on oxygen turned out better than the proposed rule, and a senate companion bill to Hobson-Tanner emerged. While these changes were far from perfect, things certainly could have been worse. Ultimately, that is the motto for 2006: It could have been worse.

And finally, a big change is in store for this magazine, but I’ll save that one for a new year’s surprise. Suffice it to say that the 19th year of Home Health Care Dealer/Provider will say goodbye to its venerable name. Stay tuned in 2007.

In 2007, we will continue to offer readers real value-added (and free) content via the Internet (at www.hhcdealer.com). Just as you are adapting to changing times, we too are adapting to the nature of the Internet in an attempt to bring you fresh and interactive information. For example, in 2006 we introduced:

• Expert Insight—an easy, no-strings way to ask industry experts whatever is on your mind (and we respect your privacy and do not keep your e-mail);

• OSA Today—an e-newsletter devoted to obstructive sleep apnea business tips and news;

• Top News—a Web news feature updated daily that covers the latest manufacturing news and industry happenings.

As an editor, it is a privilege to work with the amazing men and women of the HME world. In 2006, I cheered your victories and shook my head at your defeats. Yet through it all, I felt your optimism and passion.

Like you, we believe there is no reason to be in business unless we are always trying to improve. Like the customers who walk through your door, we are nothing without our readers. In that spirit, I thank you, dear reader, for your support and wish you a healthy and prosperous 2007.

Blackburn Joins EAB
Home Health Care Dealer/Provider is proud to welcome Georgie Blackburn as our new-est editorial advisory board (EAB) member. Blackburn is president of the Pennsylvania Association of Medical Suppliers (PAMS), compliance director/privacy officer for BLACKBURN’S Physicians Pharmacy, Tarentum, Pa, and rehab team leader for the Region A Advisory Council. Most recently, Blackburn hosted the PAMS Advanced Seminar on Medicare Mobility Policy in Pittsburgh.