Bill Griffin, owner of Griffin Home Health Care Inc., recently joined six durable medical equipment (DME) providers, Peggy Walker, director of reimbursement services for VGM Group, Inc. and Tom Ryan, President of American Association for Homecare to testify at the 2014 National Regulatory Fairness Hearing earlier this week in Washington D.C.

For 31 years, Griffin Home Health Care has served seniors and people with disabilities who rely on quality medical equipment – but for Bill, and many other durable medical equipment providers, the future is uncertain due to Medicare changes and strict government regulations.

In an effort to decrease program fraud and abuse, Medicare has increased pre-pay and post-pay audits. During the audit process, re-payment for products can be held, which DME providers say is severely hurting their small businesses.

“Due to ‘nitpicking’ regulations that Medicare requires for medical equipment, the patient stays in the hospital for another day or two while we get documentation signed from the physician. Consequently Medicare pays for another night in the hospital for about the same amount that they could rent the hospital bed from us for upwards of a year,” said Griffin.

Regina Gillispie, owner of Best Home Medical in Barboursville, W. Va. said, “I, as well as many other small businesses, am struggling heavily with cash flow. How do you budget when you have no idea when or if you will get paid?”

In addition to audits, DME providers discussed concerns with the Medicare Competitive Bidding program.

“The Medicare Competitive Bidding Process has drastically changed the complexion of our business! For the first round we eliminated seven positions or 30 percent of our staffing. That is very painful as a business owner; many of these were longtime friends and colleagues” said Griffin.

Owners like Griffin are looking to the government for help.

“In addition, full service DME suppliers could provide all the DME needs of a patient. Items such as wheelchairs, hospital beds, oxygen, enteral nutrients, and walkers may be provided by as many as five different suppliers under the competitive bidding scheme. How confusing is this for Medicare beneficiaries, caregivers, and those who facilitate the discharge planning for patients leaving the hospital? So in the event that their oxygen equipment fails-who do they call?” ask Griffin.

Griffin was invited to testify at the SBA hearing by the VGM Group, Inc. – an Iowa-based membership group for home medical providers. Presiding over the hearing was Brian Castro, national ombudsman and assistant administrator for regulatory enforcement fairness, and Anthony Ruiz, assistant director of the Small Business Administration. Region III Regulatory Fairness Board Members in attendance were Muriel Watkins, Marilyn D. Landis, and Dona A.P. Storey.

“We look forward to working with you to remedy the situations raised,” said Muriel Watkins, Region III Regulatory Fairness Board Member.

For more information, contact Bill Griffin at bgriffin@griffinhomehealthcare.com or 704-347-1993. Learn more about the issues DME providers and patients face at www.dearmedicare.com.

About Griffin Home Health Care, Inc.

Founded in 1983 by William H. (Bill) Griffin, Griffin Home Health Care, Inc. is a full service health care equipment and supply company with two local retail showrooms, providing a wide range of home medical equipment and related supplies for individual Medicare, Medicaid, and Private patients, physicians, clinics, hospice organizations, assisted living centers, nursing facilities and commercial accounts. Griffin Home Health Care serves the 16-county region in and around Charlotte metro area with locations at 4231 Monroe Road in Charlotte and at 2515 E Ozark Avenue in Gastonia. Call 877-247-4181 or visit www.GriffinHomeHealthCare.com for more information.

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