Medtrade West Debuts In Phoenix
PHOENIX – Not only did Medtrade Spring turn into Medtrade West, it eventually morphed into a Summer event, all while switching cities from Las Vegas to Phoenix. The date change provided participating brands and companies the time to effectively plan during challenging times. Organizers made the decision due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and associated government restrictions and limitations on large gatherings and travel restrictions, both domestically and internationally.
“After consulting with key, long-standing exhibitors and attendees, we made the decision to secure dates in July in order to ensure maximum success for the event for all of our customers,” said York Schwab, associate show director at the time. “We feel the additional time will allow both exhibitors and attendees of Medtrade West more time to make plans for live participation in Phoenix.”
Meanwhile Medtrade East stayed on the calendar for Oct. 18-20, 2021 at the GWCC in Atlanta.
An Insider’s View of Advocacy
WASHINGTON, DC – Dana Richter, general counsel/health senior policy advisor to Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.) graciously shared her insights with Medtrade Monday in February 2021. We asked Richter what type of advocacy messages made her “roll her eyes” and we received a remarkably honest answer. “A lot of times people compare diseases,” Richter responded. “All diseases are horrible, but when you start to say, ‘We have more people than lung cancer, and it is more deadly than breast cancer.’ That’s the kind of thing that can put staffers off. I think it’s really important to focus on your message and the implications for you and not say, ‘This industry is getting better treatment.’ You never know what else the senator or member of Congress is working on. Focus on your issue and don’t talk badly about other Industries.”
Fabulous Fifty From Brown & Fortunato
AMARILLO, TX – Continuing a remarkable streak that has spanned more than a dozen years, Jeffrey S. Baird, JD and the attorneys at Amarillo, Tex-based Brown & Fortunato contributed a whopping 50 articles to Medtrade Monday during 2021. The articles informed, educated, and amused readers with insightful legal analysis. Medtrade Monday is honored to have Jeff and the excellent crew of B&F attorneys back in 2022 for what figures to be another challenging year in the HME industry.
Win On O2 Rates
WASHINGTON, DC – In March 2021, CMS published a new DMEPOS fee schedule for oxygen that reflected a long-sought fix for outdated budget neutrality provisions that was finally secured in December 2020 COVID-19 relief legislation. The updated rates, which went into effect on April 1, bolstered reimbursement rates for oxygen products by approximately 5%-11% across the country, with the largest increases coming in former Competitive Bidding Areas.
These increases were a result of four years of engagement by AAHomecare and other HME stakeholder groups with Congress and CMS, as well as thousands of contacts to Capitol Hill by grassroots advocates to build support for Congressional sign-on letters and co-sponsors for multiple legislative packages to address the issue.
“This is one of the most significant single measures to bolster reimbursement rates for an important segment of our industry in recent memory,” notes Tom Ryan, AAHomecare president & CEO. “This win validates our efforts to raise the profile of the HME community and our policy priorities on Capitol Hill and the persistent mindset needed to win on major initiatives.”
Medtrade East Wraps In Atlanta
ATLANTA – Educational sessions at Medtrade East began on Monday, Oct. 18 with new and familiar speakers sharing knowledge on a variety of relevant topics. Attendees found real value in the educational portion of Medtrade East, as well as the Expo floor. April 2022 represents the next chance for attendees to benefit from experts at Medtrade West in Phoenix. “With everything going on and CMS making changes, I thought it was a good time to be here at Medtrade East,” said Kit Dockery, Better Living Now, Hauppage, N.Y. “It’s very educational and a great networking opportunity. I can meet with manufacturers and maintain our relationships.”