Big employers steer patient volume to high-quality, affordable providers Need a knee or hip replacement? If you work for Walmart or Lowe’s, and you’re willing to travel to Baltimore, Md., Irvine, Calif., Springfield, Mo., or Seattle, Wash., you can get one – for free. Domestic medical travel or tourism isn’t a new concept. But if it catches on, it may affect the way … [Read more...]

Tomorrow’s doctors will probably be more team-oriented than their predecessors The American Medical Association wants to transform the way future physicians are trained. Judging from study grants AMA has awarded to 11 medical schools, sales reps can expect tomorrow’s doctors to be more team-oriented than many of those in past years. In addition, they will be technologically … [Read more...]

Economic and manufacturing factors aside, better communication among all supply chain members can help healthcare providers continue to meet their patients’ Rx needs There’s some good news about drug shortages in the United States. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported in October that the number of new shortages in 2012 was 117, down from 251 in 2011. But there’s … [Read more...]

For West Coast Purchasing Coalition, larger volume in the marketplace is getting results. For VHA’s West Coast members, the regional purchasing coalition model worked well. But, on July 1, 2012, when two coalitions – WPC and Westpac – formally merged, becoming the second largest VHA network with facilities in California, Arizona, Washington, Oregon and Hawaii, it became … [Read more...]

by Linda Rouse O’Neill CMS weighs public comments on competitive bidding Medicare’s competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) is currently in effect in 100 metropolitan areas throughout the country. Given that the average price for products in this program, including enteral nutrition, was cut by over 40 … [Read more...]

Claflin Medical Equipment, Hospital Associates team up to expand major project business The recent announcement that the Almon Co. has taken an equity position in Anaheim, Calif.-based Hospital Associates signals a desire by both companies to expand the scope of their major project business, as well as e-commerce capabilities. The Almon Co. owns controlling interest in … [Read more...]

IMCO brings in all advisory groups IMCO recently gathered all of its advisory groups – acute care, primary care, long-term care and home care – in St. Augustine, Fla., to take a comprehensive look at today’s changing healthcare market, and to arrive at some comprehensive solutions for independent distributors. “It was our first-ever ‘Power’ meeting,” says IMCO President Deb … [Read more...]

Changes in the healthcare system can bring out the best in us, if we allow them to. By Gina Marchese There has been a paradigm shift in the U.S. healthcare system. I’m OK with that. It’s not as though the system was perfect. Let’s face reality: Our healthcare system needed to change. Like all other major social changes in our country – e.g., Social Security, Medicare, … [Read more...]

Two Games We are witnessing extraordinary times in healthcare. There is a lot going on, I am sure everyone would agree. But until recently, I had been unable to put my finger on why it seems so disconcerting. Surely we all know about the Affordable Care Act and healthcare reform – although probably none of us know as much about the details as we should – but we assuredly … [Read more...]

Supplier success in a post‐reform healthcare market depends on a lot of factors, including a fundamental and thorough understanding of the foundation of healthcare reform. This is part of an ongoing series designed to help Repertoire readers understand the implications of reform. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is making broad changes to the way health insurance will be … [Read more...]