ELYRIA, OHIO – Invacare will be back at Medtrade this year (Booth #2005), and officials from the Buckeye State mainstay promise “a number of new products” at the nation’s premiere HME trade show. Product managers are coy, but additional details will be forthcoming as the Oct 20-23, 2014, date gets nearer.
With 2014 nearing its half point, Brian LaDuke, vice president, Marketing and Respiratory, at Elryia, Ohio-based Invacare acknowledges that providers are still facing a number of challenges. “But these challenges also present opportunities for providers who are willing to adapt and change their business model,” he says. “With lower reimbursement rates and changes to reimbursement models that allow for payments to be spread over many months, successful providers are looking past the initial purchase price to products that offer the lowest total cost of ownership, or lifecycle costs. This is where fleet management comes in. Taking this approach allows providers to optimize operating income without sacrificing patient care.”
Meanwhile, the legendary Invacare commitment to legislative matters continues in earnest with Cara Bachenheimer, JD, at the helm. The good news, says Bachenheimer, who serves as Invacare’s senior vice president, Government Relations, is that legislators are “very attentive” these days.
“While some are discouraged about our progress in DC, the real story is that we have more live and very active issues than ever before,” says Bachenheimer, who routinely makes presentations at Medtrade Spring and Medtrade. “We have a bipartisan group of legislators moving forward on some smaller ‘fixes’ to the Medicare DME bidding program, we have an impressive and growing group of legislators supporting the carve-out of complex rehab technology from the Medicare DME benefit.
“We also have legislators working on legislation to rationalize the Medicare audit process for DME providers, and a different group of Members of Congress working on industry supported legislation to expand and enable CMS to do prior authorization for DME items beyond the current power mobility device demonstration,” continues Bachenheimer. “It’s truly an unprecedented time for Capitol Hill activity, not just in the sheer number of issues that Representatives and Senators want to help out on, but more importantly, these are positive changes to the Medicare program that would help providers’ businesses and improve consumer access. It’s far more exciting to be in a positive and pro-active mode than in a defensive posture—such as fighting proposed cuts.”
Medtrade takes place Oct 20-23, 2014, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Early registration is set to begin on Monday, June 16. Watch Medtrade Monday for additional details.