Economic viability in the post-Balanced Budget Act era requires providers to reassess their business practices. Clinical staffing shortages plaguing the nation's hospitals and long-term care facilities also take a toll on home care. Add bureaucratic policies such as competitive bidding to the Medicare equation and the picture grows even murkier. Patients and their families sandwiched between these changes must make adjustments and lobby for the best care they can get. As the fourth quarter of 2001 approaches, officials associated with the home care industry assess the economic picture in positive terms.
Some companies are successful.
Some companies are failing and struggling. There are acquisition and merger activities and new start-ups. Home care providers worried about staying in business when the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 clipped 30 percent from their already low oxygen reimbursement rates. Already these companies struggled to include a service component when they got paid only to deliver and rent equipment. Goals Remain Unchanged Changes include a mix of telephone and home visits from caregivers such as respiratory therapists and shipping supplies via UPS instead of company delivery.