As founder and President of VistaCare Health Services, I have come to realize the importance of participating in and contributing to the community that supports our business. The Vistacare Team and myself have gained knowldege and experience while navigating the challenges of meeting your healthcare needs. So, from time to time, I feel the need to offer my thoughts and perspectives on coping with the ever growing tangle of government and insurance requirements that we all must cope with as well general tips on ways to improve the quality of healthcare for your loved ones.
Check in frequently for my latest posts.....and please, give me your feedback!
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OSTOMY CAN IMPROVE LIFE QUALITY |
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The President's Corner -
Products
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Written by Tom Webb
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Thursday, 26 May 2011 20:39 |
Frequently, ordinary people have extraordinary needs. U.S. Senate Resolution 95 on March 8, 2011 recognized more than 700,000 ordinary people with ostomy. An ostomy is created when a portion of the colon or rectum is surgically brought the surface via a stoma or opening through the body wall to restore intestinal and urinary function (urostomy) for the discharge of waste. Causes for the procedure include colorectal cancer, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitus and trauma. Premature infants may be affected by necrotizing enterocolitus, an infection and inflammation of the bowel, that results in up to 5% of neonatal intensive care unit admissions. The treatment could result in an ostomy with the intent of a later reversal.
Ostomy must be viewed as a procedure to enable ordinary people to perform in their everyday lives. The objective is to obtain a feeling of comfort in every activity from sports to intimacy to business activities. Today’s ostomy products are designed for ease of use, discreetness and to be odorless.
Manufacturers of appliances for ostomy provide extensive resources including those of skilled nurses. Check with your insurance carrier to find out what items are covered. Do you have a local supplier for your products? Be willing to change brands and experiment with different products to find your comfort level.
If you are one of the ordinary people about to experience the ostomy procedure, learn as much as you can prior to the procedure. Go to the internet. The United Ostomy Associations of America, Inc. has a Bill of Rights that includes everything from pre-op counseling to site location to follow up and community resources like the Memphis Area Ostomate. |
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Last Updated on Thursday, 26 May 2011 20:41 |
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INCONTINENCE, INDY CAR DRIVERS AND YOU |
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The President's Corner -
Products
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Written by Tom Webb
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Thursday, 10 March 2011 22:09 |
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Is this a familiar scenario? You are the primary caregiver for an aging parent. It is the weekend. You have plans and there is a need for diapers. So you go the local high volume retailer to face the options. Do I buy the name brand or the house brand? Is this an effective product? Is it a good value? You are not alone with this decision. More than 2 billion dollars are spent on more than 25 million adults experiencing urinary incontinence.
Urinary Incontinence is grouped into three classifications. Stress incontinence can come from laughter or coughing and results in the release of about a quarter cup of urine. Overflow incontinence is when the bladder overflows without control resulting in the loss of about ¾ cup of urine. Reflex incontinence is often found where the individual has had a stroke, is bed bound or is diabetic. The volume is usually greater, in the 1 ¼ cup range or more.
By knowing the type of incontinence and the volume loss, you can better determine the style of product best suited for the need and you can better calculate the quantities you will be using.
TERMS AND DESCRIPTIONS
Back to the scenario. Lets say the person in need is an elderly adult male, who is able to self toilet but sometimes can’t make it to restroom in time. In this case, an underwear type pull-up will suffice. Pull ups are more discreet.
For the individual who has issues with self toileting, whose output is significant and who has more than four accidents per day, a tabbed brief would be recommended. As a rule, the tabbed brief has more holding capacity due to the polymers in the fluff. Polymers assist in the control of bacteria and odor. By today’s standard, thicker in a tabbed brief does not mean better. Tabs should be re-sealable and the leg gathers should be effective.
CHANGE FREQUENTLY
So if you know the output, you know the style of undergarment, you can estimate the quantity, all you have to do is select the brand. We feature products made by First Quality.
OR
Anytime you have a question, contact the VistaCare office with your questions about fit, style, usage and our quality brands.
Astronauts might require a brief, deep sea divers may require a brief and Indy Car drivers don’t make rest stops! |
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The President's Corner -
Quality
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Written by Tom Webb
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Friday, 16 July 2010 21:07 |
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Take Care, Keep in Touch
“Take care, keep in touch.” You often hear this from relatives and friends. It couldn’t be truer for your medical product and equipment supplier. The only difference for your supplier is that, they really mean it! Medicare and most insurance companies want you, the client and beneficiary, to maintain contact with your supplier. Why? As your supplies run low, contact your supplier. Let your supplier know if you have moved, changed contact numbers, changed doctors, have new prescriptions or if you have an excess of items from the previous shipment. Frequent contact with your supplier makes everything more efficient and can help reduce costs for you, your insurance and your supplier.
Tom Webb{jcomments on} |
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Last Updated on Thursday, 18 November 2010 22:09 |
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Home Supply, The Bigger Picture |
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The President's Corner -
The Bigger Picture
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Written by Tom Webb
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Monday, 24 May 2010 22:03 |
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May 24, 2010
A letter to the Editor of the Commercial Appeal dated May 23, 2010 said the writer had received a bill in error which showed charges of $252 for an item which is readily available for $40. The bill should have gone to the insurance company.
Conversely, VistaCare just told a potential customer we could not provide the requested ostomy products because the acquisition costs were more than the insurance company’s reimbursement not including the additional and non-reimbursable cost for delivery.
The writer of the letter had a good point but the writer probably also failed to take into consideration costs of doing business like the delivery charges, business license, insurances, various taxes, state license, payroll, benefits and training, accreditation expense, accounts receivables days outstanding, bad debt and some margin to pay salaries and to keep the lights on. Further, when home delivery is involved and in particular for items involving oxygen, a different set of stringent parameters are to be considered such as in-home assessments, client education and 24/7 call.
Medical equipment companies like VistaCare are at a cross roads. Can you buy products and then bill according to set fee schedules and survive. Fee schedules continue to decrease. Costs continue to rise.
Many items allow a margin, many more do not. What sense does it make to take the Medicare (CMS) fee schedule and simply reduce every item by 50% or more? Is making a fee schedule so ‘aggressive’ a de-facto way of not making supplies available?
The difficult message to communicate to consumers is that home medical equipment companies that participate in health plans are not streamlined, on-line warehouses or big box stores. Most of us are accredited and are small businesses of less than 10 employees functioning under regulations established long ago.
Was $252 too much for the one item, possibly? When viewed in the bigger picture, home delivered equipment and supply items are cost effective. {jcomments on} |
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Last Updated on Friday, 25 March 2011 21:04 |
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The President's Corner -
Quality
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Written by Tom Webb
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Friday, 29 January 2010 01:51 |
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Policy makers, consumers and think tanks are stirring a big icky pot of healthcare stew
comprised of doctors, hospitals,insurance companies, consumers, out patient clinics, medical equipment suppliers and more. Following the analogy, we want this healthcare stew to be inexpensive, taste really good, be ready to serve to everyone and be garnished with a good measure of quality ... now.
Medical equipment companies initiated the move toward quality in cooperation with Medicare. By September 30, 2009 for medical equipment companies to bill Medicare, they must be accredited by a Center for Medicare/Medicaid Services approved agency. Due to the high standards required for accreditation this is very good news for the consumer. Select an accredited medical equipment company and be assured of the quality you deserve.
Tom Webb
VistaCare Health Services, Inc.{jcomments on} |
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Last Updated on Thursday, 18 November 2010 22:10 |
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