Business

Shopping for new software can be exciting, but choosing the right solution is only half of the equation. Making sure your organization is able to realize the full potential of the technology it has decided to implement is just as important is managing the change and transition. Jennifer Keiser outlined a step-by-step plan for home medical equipment (HME) providers, home infusion pharmacies and other homecare businesses looking to implement a technology change, including planning for the change

Essentially Women member, Mary Walsh Aframe from Women's Image Center, was recently featured in a lifestyle publication based out of Boston. Women's Image Center is a post-mastectomy boutique that focuses on custom breast prosthesis, breast forms, post-mastectomy garments and wigs.  Aframe spent much of her early career working as a dental hygienist, while training to be a certified mastectomy fitter.  “Helping a woman look and feel her best while she’s

A recent study commissioned by Byram Healthcare found that fewer than one in five working moms who breastfed know their rights in the workplace. The survey polled 1,000 working moms in the U.S. who have children ages two and under who are breastfeeding or who have recently breastfed. Fifty-two percent said they didn't know they are legally entitled to a room to pump a full year after giving birth and the room must have shades or no windows and a lock.  The survey also found that 95% of

Assume that a provider is a plaintiff, defendant, or witness in a civil lawsuit. Assume that the provider receives a subpoena from a party to the lawsuit…and assume that the subpoena asks for a patient’s file. How should the provider respond? First, it should be noted that the subpoena is not a court order; rather, it is a request by an attorney for the patient files. The provider is a “covered entity” under HIPAA. Patient files constitute “protected health

There are a few differences between a dispensing order and a written order. DME items may be dispensed upon a verbal or written dispensing order as long as a detailed written order (DWO) is obtained by the DME supplier prior to claim submission.  For Medicare purposes, it is generally understood that most DME can be dispensed upon the receipt of a dispensing order from a physician. It can be verbal or written. It must include: a description of the item, name of the beneficiary, name of the

Business succession planning is a series of logistical and financial decisions about who should take over your business upon your decision to retire or in case of death or disability. The first step is to identify the ideal successor to take over and then determine the best selling arrangement. A well-crafted succession plan aims to benefit everybody—the departing owner, their family, the business and the successor. The four most common types of small succession plans are passing onto

As insurance payers become less reliable as a source of income, many members have considered including more retail items in their business. There are a few reasons we come across on why providers don’t get into retail, one of those reasons is because there are so many products in the market, businesses are overwhelmed about what to choose first. Another is the unknown if and what products will actually sell. Depending on who you ask, every item out in the market is the best, right? Let’s

DME providers operate in a highly regulated environment. Suppliers must comply with federal anti-fraud laws, state anti-fraud laws, supplier standards, accreditation requirements, and guidance from Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurers. If a supplier is doing something it should not be doing, then “someone knows about it.” That “someone” can be an employee, a competitor, a referral source, or a government program/contractor. If a provider violates one

What does a bookkeeper do? The role of a bookkeeper is to enter, categorize, review, and reconcile transactions in a company's accounting system. Having sales and expense data properly categorized enables business owners to see where they are spending and making money. Historically, a bookkeeper would receive a list of entries or transactions in the form of receipts, emails, bank statements, credit card statements, invoices, loan documents, etc. and assign them to different accounts based

Are you selling cash products alongside items that are reimbursable? Is your cash business a focus for you and your team? Retail is essentially selling of products for cash, where there's an interaction between an employee and a customer. The employee uncovers a need from the customer and she suggests a product to help the situation. Insurance payors are becoming increasingly unreliable as a single source of revenue. Supplement revenue with cash sales that make sense for your business.