Provider Calls Out Media for Providing Bad Information

Patrick Naeger of Healthcare Equipment and Supply in Missouri has challenged a Star Tribune reporter for including bad information in his article, "Lung patients are left in the lurch." The article, which appeared in the Minneapolis paper earlier this month, reports of an oxygen patient who was "left in the lurch," because his supplier went out of business. Noting the tension between oxygen suppliers and CMS, the article also reports that in spite of the oxygen cap, "Medicare still pays some suppliers 10 times more than the equipment would cost if patients bought the devices themselves."

Naeger responded to the reporter via e-mail, calling out the misinformation and offering rebuttal.

"Obviously, you have not spent any significant time with any provider to see for yourself what it takes to actually provide this service month after month after month," said Naeger. "As suppliers, not only do we have to purchase the equipment, we have to maintain it. [It] doesn't matter if it is 2 o'clock in the afternoon, during normal business hours, or if it is 2 0'clock in the morning. We must make sure that patient is getting the oxygen they need. In addition, we have personnel cost, billing software cost, computers, vehicles, fuel, insurance, accreditation compliance, surety bond, rent, answering service, on-call pay, overtime, utilities and the list goes on and on."

Naegers entire letter can be found below.

Providers are reminded to keep an eye out for articles such as the Star Tribune article and make appropriate responses. It is important to ensure that the public is aware of the DME industry and the services that come with the DME equipment. Be sure that you call out any misinformation that may appear in articles about oxygen, competitive bidding, or any other DME-related issues.

Pat Naeger is a VGM and Midwest Association for Medical Equipment Services (MAMES) member. He sits on the board of directors for MAMES, and is a former member of the Missouri State Legislature. VGM thanks Naeger for his swift response and for "taking action."

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James,

Clearly the reason for your story is noble and I commend you for standing up for the folks in need of this vital service, oxygen therapy. But just as I was getting my pom-poms out and ready to cheer you on, or maybe even nominate you for a Nobel prize I read the insane comment that "Medicare still pays some suppliers 10 times more than the equipment would cost if patients bought the devices themselves". James, I suddenly became nauseated and thought I might blow chunks! Obviously, you have not spent any significant time with any provider to see for yourself what it takes to actually provide this service month after month after month.

You see, you are infected with the same disease that many in Congress have. They think that Medicare is just paying for a piece of hardware. That's just not the case. Much more than the equipment patients get to produce the drug, oxygen is the service it takes to provide that drug twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. As suppliers, not only do we have to purchase the equipment we have to maintain it. Doesn't matter if it is 2 o'clock in the afternoon during normal business hours or if it is 2 0'clock in the morning, we must make sure that patient is getting the oxygen they need. In addition we have personnel cost, billing software cost, computers, vehicles, fuel, insurance, accreditation compliance, surety bond, rent, answering service, on call pay, overtime, utilities and the list goes on and on. This is a business man! We have to chase all the paperwork for Medicare to make certain the oxygen is medically necessary. After that we have to file a claim with Medicare every month and at times wait 60-90 days to get paid. I aint no bank!

James, there is a real problem here and it's not the providers. It's our Congress not getting their priorities right. You will pay twice as much for a Viagra then you will pay for life-saving oxygen and all the service that comes with it! Instead of giving folks the 1-800-Medicare number, you should have posted a list of all the members of Congress and the two US Senators so all the folks who are tethered to that 50 foot leash, their family and friends can call them and tell them to knock it off. The DME services we provide are less than 2% of the total Medicare budget. Yet our cost continue to skyrocket and we have gotten nothing but cuts for almost two decades. The earmarks [Congress] proposed last week was more than the whole DME budget. Yet [some] were saying how insignificant those earmarks were compared to the budget as a whole. Medicare claims that $200.00 a month is too much for this service. Yet if this same patient goes without this vital drug and has a chronic event and needs to go to the hospital the taxpayer will pay more than $2,000.00 a day. I think we are a pretty good deal. Almost a year of my oxygen service cost less than ONE day in the hospital. Need I say more?

If you as a taxpayer want it cheap and you don't mind the "no service model" just recommend Congress give the Medicare beneficiaries a credit card and have them shop for the best deal. However, make sure where ever they get it from they have a good instruction manual and a phone to dial 911!

I really recommend if you want to do some serious investigative reporting you spend several hours with one of the fine home medical equipment providers in your area.....you will be astonished at how cheap our services really are....