Bright Spots in DME

Sometimes we get so weighed down by all the negative in the industry that we forget, or are unable to look at, or are unable to even find the positive. There may not be much of it, but it is there, and today's as good a day as any to think about it.

People Need You
The equipment that you provide to your patients is very important to them. Whether it's a commode, or a cane, or a wheel chair, or oxygen, or anything else, you help with a person's ability to function and quality of life, which makes a difference to the individual concerned.

That you are in business to make money isn't the point. So is virtually every business, and there's nothing wrong with capitalism. Nor am I nominating anyone for sainthood. But you're in a difficult industry that gets harder and harder to be in every day. Your profits have been slashed, your costs of doing business continue to rise, and if you're an honest and ethical provider, you've been slapped with a reputation that you haven't earned and don't deserve. Yet here you still are, and you're making a difference.

How is that not a positive?

Help Is At Your Fingertips
They say that good help is hard to find, and in some cases, I suppose that's true. I'm not talking about in-office help (employees), I'm talking about a variety of resources that available to you that will feed you information, assist you with problems, and help save you money.

Bear in mind that nothing in life (worth having) is free. Some help is more expensive than other help; in some cases you can find assistance that, for a nominal fee, is worth far more to you than you'll pay to have it.

How do I define nominal? Good question. Defining something's value is a subjective thing. I might be willing or able to pay more for something than someone else, and vice versa. But I'm willing to pay for good help; I'm willing to pay for a good resource. Let's look at a several.

State/Regional Non-profits
Some of the state (and regional) associations are excellent investments. You typically get a huge bang for relatively few bucks you pay them. For example:

If you're a single location with revenue under $5M in Minnesota (or 6 other states in the region), you'll pay MAMES $475.00 a year in dues. That breaks down to $39.58 per month, or $9.13 per week.

If you're in Texas (or 4 other states in the region), you'll pay MESA $250.00 per year in dues. That breaks down to $20.83 per month, or $4.81 per week.

If you're a single location with annual revenue $1,000,000 - $5,000,000 in Massachusetts (or 5 other states in the region), you'll pay $492.50 in 2010 (NEMED is having a half-price sale this year, the dues would normally be $985.00). That breaks down, at the sale price, to $41.04 per month, or $9.47 per week. And though I've taken NEMED to task in this blog for specific things, the fact remains that NEMED is an active association that provides excellent service to its members.

In the single-state arena, joining NCAMES will run you $350.00 per year. That breaks down to $29.16 per month, or $6.73 per week.

You can't pay these organizations weekly or monthly, but I broke their dues down that way so you can see how little they actually cost.

In exchange for the dues you pay, you receive information you really do need (both regulatory and legislative), education opportunities, and you fund the intensive grassroots efforts that these organizations have going on a daily basis. These associations are on the front lines of the fights the industry endures, and they really do need your support and involvement.

If you don't have an association that serves your state or region, or if the one(s) available to you in your area isn't what you're looking for or won't serve your needs, look at one in a neighboring state if you're not concerned about your particular state's issues (let's face it: not everyone "does" Medicaid, and those folks are needing information on and services relating to Medicare). In most cases, the staff of the neighboring association will probably refer you to your state's organization (if there is one). But where you spend your money is your choice, and you should state your case firmly. You have no obligation to join and support an organization that won't meet your needs.

The bottom line here is that your state/regional associations are the work-horses of the industry, and they deserve your support. They're hands-on, they know their members, and they give practical assistance for your many problems and needs. Don't assume that they don't need you; they do. You might not realize it yet, but you need them too.

National
There are national associations, and there are national member service organizations. Is there a difference? Yes.

National member service organizations are typically for-profit businesses. Is this a bad thing? No. The more money they have, the more solid they are, and the more services they're funded to offer you. They can be in business to make money; a non-profit can't. That doesn't mean that a non-profit can't make money. It means that a non-profit can't have profit as its purpose. That's an over-simplification, but it does the job.

The two best-known in the DME industry are The Med Group and The VGM Group; both offer a wide variety of products and services to their members, which include alerts to members about important national issues.

Yes, I've pummeled VGM in various blog posts. But just because I don't approve of some of the things it does doesn't make it an organization without merit.

You'll very likely pay more to be a member of these two groups than you'd pay to be a member of a state or regional association. But these two offer one thing that a state/regional association doesn't (yet): buying group. I don't think the "national associations" offer anything similar either.

Now we come to the national associations: AAHomecare and NAIMES. As far as I know, the ones the industry currently has are all non-profits and have different dues structures. It's up to you to judge the effectiveness of them, and up to you to determine whether or not to invest in one by paying dues.

And then there's CSIHME. I don't know much about this group, even though I've been on their site and read their mission and purpose. From what I can gather, they pay for a lobbyist and publicist to plead the case of the small, independent provider in D.C. They've been around for two or three years now, and I'm honestly not sure what they've achieved so far. I'm not saying that they haven't done anything; I'm saying that if they have, I don't know what it is they've accomplished. The group is managed by one of the founders of NAIMES; I think it's reasonable to assume that the agendas of the two groups are closely related as a result of its management.

Confused?
Don't be. Be encouraged by the variety of resources available to you; be encouraged at how some of them can be a very cost-effective way of serving the well-being of your company. In some cases the dues are less than you spill on lunches in a month's time. All you get out of lunch is a temporarily full stomach. For the same money, what you'll get out of being a member of a solid, professionally run, active organization will be of benefit to you for a full year. Why not give it a try?

No, I don't get commission from any of the associations or organizations, and this isn't an endorsement. What I'm doing is pointing out that you've got inexpensive, real help out there. It's up to you to evaluate them individually and select the one(s) that would be a good fit for you and your company.

If you're feeling alone, you don't have to feel that way, because you're not alone. I've got links to some of your options below to make it easier for you to look them over (I'm not including links to all organizations, so if one isn't here for your area, try your preferred search engine).

CAMPS California
MAMES Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota
MESA Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas
NAMPS Nevada
NEMED Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont
NCAMES North Carolina
VADMEC Virginia
The Med Group
The VGM Group
AAHomecare
CSIHME
NAIMES

Your involvement is a positive thing for you, your company, and the industry as a whole. As we all know, these are precarious financial times, and budgets are strained. Sometimes it's hard to justify spending money on anything but the barest necessities. But let me ask you this: If a lack of support, financial and otherwise, is harming the industry from which you make your living, what will you do and who will you turn to as things get worse? A small investment today just might give your support organizations the resources they need to stick around and continue to fight the bid.

Image Shaping
We know that the industry has an image problem. It somehow seems unfair that a few bad apples can tarnish the perception of the whole bunch, but it's what it is, right?

If a few bad people can have such a profound impact, then a group of you can have an opposite impact. There are opportunities to participate in volunteer activities that can, in turn, reflect well on you, which leads to a more positive view of the industry if enough people do it.

No, I'm not spouting nonsense. I'm thinking about well-publicized events like cancer walks, charity house buildings, disabled races, road-side clean-ups, etc. A group of you and your employees, wearing shirts proclaiming your company, doing things for and in the community can go far toward boosting (or solidifying) your business's reputation on a local level (don't be shy about making the most of these opportunities by courting publicity; the point is to be noticed, but don't go overboard).

By doing business in an honest and ethical manner, and by working actively to shape your local image, you can, if enough people participate, help to shape the image of the industry.

It should be clear to everyone by now that words aren't enough. The industry has been saying for years how many good providers it has and how much those providers do for patients. It's almost impossible to convey that so those who don't know you or the industry can understand it. So a simpler way to have a positive impact is in order, don't you think? It's a great way to be (and have) a bright spot!