Referral sales have always played a central part in HME provider businesses. Physicians and other healthcare professionals are key partners in driving patients to HMEs, and HMEs, in turn, aim to be critical partners in the patient’s continuum of care. Truly, HMEs don’t simply deliver “bent metal” DME to homecare patients, but offer expert insight, followthrough and service, along with often complex medial devices to patients.
With that in mind, referral partners have come to depend on HMEs to ensure positive outcomes in the homecare setting. That said, the game has changed. Previously, that was enough, but the implementation of Round One of competitive bidding and the increasing volume of pre- and post-payment Medicare audits have made dealing with referral partners much more tricky. Now partners are confused about which partners they can go to and for what equipment. They are being told that they need to provide more detailed documentation before claims have been processed. Now they’re asking themselves, “What happened to simply getting free Chinese food for lunch from the guys at the oxygen company?”
This massive change in the way HMEs must work with their physician partners has made referral sales and service a much more nuanced undertaking. Now providers much truly be partners with their referral sources, and educate them on the changes in Medicare funding they are indirectly experiencing. It’s a tricky prospect, and pizza won’t cut it any longer.
To discuss the changes providers are experiencing in referral sales and how they can address them, HME Business sat down with two industry experts:
Ron Bendell, president of well-known industry member service organization and buying group VGM & Associates. Bendell understands the industry inside and out, and his organization provides a wide variety of business insights and services to providers.
Ty Bello, RCC, the president and founder of Team@Work LLC, which provides sales coaching, training and professional education to the HME industry. Ty is an expert in HME sales and marketing and speaks and writes heavily on the subject.