Industry Matters

During this episode of the Industry Matters podcast, Ronda Buhrmester, Senior Director of Payer Relations and Reimbursement at VGM & Associates and Noel Neil, Chief Compliance Officer at ACU-Serve, delve into the complexities of lymphedema compression therapy as a DME benefit. They discuss essential compliance and documentation requirements, market analysis, recent HCPCS code updates, and the challenges and opportunities within the Medicare Advantage space. They also provide valuable insights on managing product categories, maintaining compliance, and the implications of billing upgrades. If you're considering adding lymphedema compression to your offerings or you already provide compression, this episode provides crucial information and actionable guidance to ensure you navigate this space successfully.

Resources:
https://cgsmedicare.com/jc/education/lymphedema_compression.html
https://cgsmedicare.com/jc/pubs/news/2023/12/cope147943.html
https://med.noridianmedicare.com/web/jddme/dmepos/lymphedema-compression-treatment

In the 5th episode of the “5 Pillars of Wound Care” series, Heather Trumm, Partner Account Manager with VGM & Associates, and Amanda Smithey, Senior Manager, Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships, HME Division with McKesson, explore strategies for building your referral network using your existing referral base and patient population. The episode also covers setting expectations with referral sources and offers tips on keeping them accountable to the rules and regulations you’ve established. Additionally, Heather and Amanda provide insights into training your referral sources, including conducting in-services, what topics to cover, and how to creatively approach training and education.

Tune in to learn how to strengthen your referral network and enhance your wound care program!

In this edition of Industry Matters, we learn about "So Every BODY Can Move," an initiative to create equitable and life-changing access to prosthetic and orthotic care for physical activity.

Nikki Grace, Director of OPGA, interviews Nicole Ver Kuilen, Director of Impact Campaigns for the Amputee Coalition and Campaign Lead for "So Every BODY Can Move," and Sheryl Sachs, MSPO, CPO, and lead advocate for Maryland's "So Every BODY Can Move." Together, they discuss the importance of "So Every BODY Can Move," its formation in Iowa, and its impact on the O&P community. This initiative ensures that every person, regardless of their circumstances, has the opportunity to live an active and fulfilling life.

In the 4th episode of the “5 Pillars of Wound Care” series, Heather Trumm, Partner Account Manager with VGM & Associates, and Amanda Smithey, Senior Manager, Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships, HME Division with McKesson, delve into the essential training for HME staff in wound care. This episode covers what a comprehensive training program would entail for both your referral sources and internal staff. Key topics include disease state training, product category training, and referral and patient engagement training. Gain insights into the importance of clinical training, wound terminology, product category training for your HME staff, and the distinct training needs for sales/marketing teams and resupply staff. 

Resource

The Wound Care Manual is exclusively available to VGM members on our members-only portal.

In this episode, Zach discusses the straightforward integration and significant benefits of high flow therapy using an asymmetric cannula with patients. He suggests starting with patients who are non-compliant with other therapies, highlighting the ease of implementing a Duet cannula for those already using high flow setups. Join Boone and Zach for valuable insights into optimizing patient care through innovative therapy solutions.

In this edition of Industry Matters, Shelby Graveman, Sr. Director of Customer Success at VGM & Associates, interviews Kyle Neese, Sr. Account Executive at ACU-Serve. Together, they explore the hottest topics in the HME industry, offering insights on how providers can effectively navigate daily challenges. They discuss the essential resources ACU-Serve provides, including payer relations support and the importance of root cause analysis for optimizing workflows and system performance. Additionally, they highlight how technology and trend reporting can enhance your business and emphasize the critical role of monthly recurring revenue for financial health. Join us as we delve into common growth challenges faced by HME companies and share strategies to increase revenue through technology and outsourcing solutions. Whether you're looking to scale your business or streamline operations, this podcast offers valuable tips and expert advice to help you succeed in the dynamic HME landscape.

In the 3rd episode of the “5 Pillars of Wound Care” series, hosts Heather Trumm, Partner Account Manager with VGM & Associates, and Amanda Smithey, Senior Manager, Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships, HME Division with McKesson, dive into the essentials of establishing effective vendor partnerships. They explore strategies for simplifying the process of developing and identifying the right vendor relationships for your business. Heather and Amanda also discuss how to leverage the resources that vendors offer to maximize your success, and how to utilize your relationships to help generate leads together. A lot of these concepts not only work with surgical dressings, but also can apply to HME, DME, respiratory and more. 

In today's episode of Industry Matters, Alan Morris, SVP of Strategy, VGM & Associates, and Tyler Coulander, Market Strategy Manager, VGM & Associates, explore key trends, from improving access to care and addressing staffing shortages to adapting to shifting consumer preferences, and financial pressures. Gain valuable insights and strategies to navigate the evolving healthcare landscape and enhance your understanding of the DME industry's impact.

In today's episode of Industry Matters Boone Lockard, VP of Clinical Services; Ronda Buhrmester, Sr Director Payer Relations & Reimbursements; Zach Gantt, CEO, Encore Healthcare; and Ray Gregg, VP of Sales and Business Development, Encore Healthcare; dive into the latest updates on the National Coverage Determination (NCD) for ventilators, focusing on the new policy changes and their implications for COPD patients.

CMS has 60 days to review comments which means the final comments should be released by June 9th.

Submit Comments Here:
https://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-database/view/ncacal-tracking-sheet.aspx?ncaid=315

In the second episode of the “5 Pillars of Wound Care” series, Heather Trumm, Partner Account Manager with VGM & Associates, and Amanda Smithey, Senior Manager, Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships, HME Division with McKesson, return to delve into the development of your surgical dressings program. They cover essential components such as the Surgical Dressings LCD, the importance of formulary development, and the order process, including the resupply aspect. This may be the most crucial step of your wound care program development- you won’t want to miss this episode!