Paralympic Winter Games

Vancouver has been a hot spot for sports lately with its hosting of the Winter Olympics and the Paralympic Games. The Paralympic Games will be held March 12-21. The games feature five exciting winter sports including alpine and cross-country skiing, biathlon, ice sledge hockey and wheelchair curling. You can watch the games live at ParalympicSport.tv. You can also follow the games on YouTube and Facebook.

Find the schedule of events online at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Games site. While you cheer on these amazing athletes as they compete for their dreams of gold try and spot their ROHO seat cushions! The Paralympic Games first began as a way to get English World War II disabled veterans active again. Over time though, the competitions and sports has expanded to all over the world and multiple sports. The first Paralympic Games were held after the 1960 Olympic Summer Games in Rome, Italy. The first Paralympic Winter Games took place in 1976 in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden.

Vancouver Paralympic Trailer or watch an athlete in action.

If you want to know more about the sports visit Disabom’s Web site.

The ROHO Group has launched our brand new community style website, Live ROHO, for users to share their own stories and experiences with others. Here you can submit your own stories, upload pictures and more. Live ROHO is meant to serve as an environment that encourages sharing, learning and inspiration!

The ROHO Elite Sponsorship Program will be included on Live ROHO as well, complete with current ROHO Elites, their stories, pictures, etc. The ROHO Elite consists of individuals from a variety of backgrounds and professions – including athletes, teachers, community leaders and parents. In exchange for their service to the ROHO community, each member receives free ROHO products and may be featured on our website. At Live ROHO, you will have the chance to apply for ROHO Elite status and see the benefits of being an Elite member.

Now that you have found a place that you can celebrate your life, start living. Live ROHO!

• Post your story

• Upload images

• Submit a video  to marketing@therohogroup.com

“I am a 62-year-old woman who is a quadriplegic with multiple sclerosis. Over the last 10+ years I have sat on hard foam cushions causing me to lay down every two hours to prevent skin breakdown and back pain, until 2006 when I was “promoted” to my quantum 6000 wheelchair with a ROHO cushion. The 111 inflatable baffles …allowed me and still allow me the freedom to enjoy my chair for as many as 16 hours a day. This gave me the dream I wanted to leave to my grandchildren. I was able to write and have published my autobiography, “DOUBLE KNIT,” leaving my legacy to my grandchildren and telling people about MS and the availabilities to make life comfortable. Because I have a ROHO cushion I have to share my wheelchair with my miniature poodle. Jake thinks it is his bed and every time I’m out of the chair for a few minutes he jumps up onto it and falls asleep.”

Thanks to Diana for sharing her story with us and the entire ROHO Community. We are so happy to hear that our cushion allowed someone to not only live a happier life but also to write an autobiography about it. Thank you again to all that participated in the contest, we really love hearing your stories. Be sure to keep an eye on  The ROHO Group Facebook Fan Page and look out for our next contest!

Recently CMS published a new bulletin via “MLN Matters” entitled:  “Medicare’s DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Program – A Better Way for Medicare to Pay for Medical Equipment”.  I knew I shouldn’t read it, I knew that it would just upset me… but I couldn’t resist.  After reading the article, and allowing sufficient time for my blood pressure to go down, I feel compelled to respond because there is very definitely another side to this story.  Here are some of the claims made in the article with my “editorial” comments.

Here’s one of the first statements in the article, “What You Need to Know: …The program will reduce out-of-pocket expenses for Medicare beneficiaries and save the Medicare program money while ensuring beneficiaries continue to receive quality products from accredited suppliers.”  This all sounds wonderful… but I’ve got a few thoughts:

• Does this claim that it will “reduce” beneficiary expenses take into account the fact that beneficiaries may now be forced to pay privately for items that providers previously accepted assignment on?  Does it tell beneficiaries that if they choose to purchase something privately so that they can have more say in whom they do business with, and in what they are purchasing, that Medicare will no longer provide them any reimbursement (zero) for the purchase, even if they meet medical necessity?  Could these new restrictions on whom they do business with, and what products / services are available to them, result in longer institutional stays or cause more re-admissions to institutional settings?   You know, a few years ago we had an ice storm that cut my electricity for a week.  At the end of the month my electrical bill was “reduced” but the cost to run my gas powered generator and eating out still resulted in me paying out considerably more in total.
• Does this claim that it will “save” the Medicare program money consider any increases to costs in other areas of Medicare as a result of reduced quality and access to DME?  Will Medicare save money if the length of stay in an institution or re-admission to institutions goes up?  As my Dad use to say “you’ll never get ahead being penny wise and dollar foolish”.
• How can Medicare guarantee that beneficiaries will continue to receive “quality” products when companies are required to bid using an antiquated coding system (HCPCS) that lumps products together in ways that may be way too broad?  I’d argue that some of these codes that Medicare is asking companies to bid on are about as distinct as asking someone to bid on a “motorized, wheeled vehicle”.  Given this definition you could see bids submitted on everything from a powered skateboard to a high end SUV.  In addition, Medicare’s bidding rules award contracts based on price.  So, anyone who needs a “motorized, wheeled vehicle” better be able to ride a skateboard.
• What do “accredited” suppliers have to do with bidding and searching for the lowest price?   As an industry we’ve been asking Medicare to require accreditation for years.  Now that they’re doing it they make is sound like an essential part of competitive bidding.  I would argue that any bidding program that selects winners based on the lowest price is contradictory with a focus on quality.  Further, whether accreditation really produces any benefits depends upon how stringent the standards are that a provider has to meet to get accredited.  The entire DMEPOS quality standards document published by CMS was 19 pages long.  The first 9 pages contain the general supplier requirements.  There are two specific pages related to respiratory equipment, 3 pages for manual and power wheelchairs and 5 pages on orthotics.  These really don’t seem to be very stringent quality standards to me; and, some of the specific quality standards that are included relate to products that aren’t even being included in competitive bidding, like manual wheelchairs, complex rehab power wheelchairs and orthotics.

Later in the article it says that “All suppliers are thoroughly screened.”  Well, they must be accredited based on those standards we’ve already discussed and they do have to meet Medicare’s financial standards (to make sure that they aren’t likely to go out of business).  However, we can actually evaluate how effective this “screening” process is by looking at the providers that Medicare chose to offer contracts to in from the original round of bidding (that Congress threw out).  Through this screening process Medicare still awarded contracts to providers that had no physical locations in the metro area they bid on.  They also awarded contracts to providers for products that the provider had not offered in the past.  If I’m a Medicare beneficiary I know that I feel more secure knowing that my respiratory, wound care or rehab equipment may be provided by someone from out of town that has no history providing these products… then again, I like to get my haircut at a barber college and go to the dental school for root canals, I just live for thrills!

“Competitive bidding creates incentives for suppliers to continue to provide quality products and services efficiently and at a reasonable price.”  How can a bidding process that selects winners solely based on the lowest prices incent suppliers to continue providing quality goods and services?  It would seem to me that the incentive is for providers to offer the cheapest products they can and eliminate any services possible.

“Competitive bidding selects multiple winning contract providers…”  Well that is true but another way of saying this would be to say, “Competitive bidding will eliminate over 80% of the providers eligible to service Medicare beneficiaries.”

In the article there is a whole section touting the “proven results” of competitive bidding demonstration projects done several years ago.  Yet, the model Medicare is following now isn’t the same as it was in the demonstrations.  In the demonstrations the large majority of bidders were offered contracts so beneficiaries had broader access and the winners still needed to compete based on the quality of goods and services they offered compared to their competition.  The demonstrations were limited to two geographic areas in southern Florida and Texas.  As such, the large majority of bidders were the local providers and there was not much incentive for folks from out of town to try and move in.  Further, Medicare did a better job at only requesting bids on codes that were well defined and represented homogeneous groups of products.  If this is the litmus test to demonstrate “proven results” then I must be a scratch golfer… after all I have shot par, one time, on one hole.

OK, time for me to step down from my soap box.  Let me know if you agree with my marketing department that folks want to read this stuff or with me that my writing is a great cure for insomnia.

Dave

And we want to hear all about YOU!

The ROHO Group is having a Facebook Contest and we want to hear your stories about ROHO and the impact it has had on your life. During the month of January, sharing your personal story will have you entered to win a $100 Visa Gift Card. Just explain how ROHO has had a positive impact on your life and inspire others to share their stories as well and you could win. Funny stories and emotional moments are always welcome as they provide an inside look into the real life of a ROHO user.
The ROHO Community thrives on your stories and it is important for us to hear them so we can continue to provide you with the best products that empower you to live the best life possible. Become a fan on Facebook, share your story and you will be entered to win a $100 Visa Gift Card.

Here’s what you do:

-If you’re not already, become a Fan of The ROHO Group on Facebook!

-Think real hard about how ROHO has had a positive impact on your life

-Share your story or stories on the The ROHO Group Fan Page Wall or send us a message! Don’t hold back- funny stories and emotional moments never hurt!

-Tell all your friends to become a Fan and enter too! (Hey, if they win, they might spend some of the $100 Visa Gift Card on you!)

-The Winner will be decided February 15th so check back often to see how the competition is holding up!

The ROHO Group can’t wait to hear all of your inspiring stories!

GOOD LUCK!

Each ROHO cushion comes with a complete set of instructions for proper cushion adjustment, but here are a few helpful tips for those of you who have purchased a ROHO wheelchair cushion. You may also refer to our visual guide as well for adjustment instructions. Remember to always check to make sure your cushion is adjusted properly for maximum benefit. If you need further assistance or have additional questions please contact a ROHO representative.

• Allows for enhanced pelvic alignment and control
• Maintains optimal immersion and envelopment of both the ischial tuberosities and greater trochanters
• Increases stability with Jay contoured foam base
• Offers safer transfer in and out of a wheelchair
• Provides superior skin protection from ROHO seat cushion insert
• Enhances sitting posture
• Adjustable insert for every shape
• Washable cushion, cover, and foam base
• Available in a wide range of sizes, to fit chair widths 14″ to 24”
• Includes a 24-month limited warranty

Recommended for Clients who:
• Are at a moderate to high risk for skin breakdown
• Require pelvic and lower extremity positioning
• Have difficulty with lower extremity positioning and alignment
• Have asymmetrical postures and need front to back or side to side positioning

Learn more about how wheelchair users can achieve maximum protection and stability with the new Hybrid Elite Cushion.

- Send a message via Senator Harkin’s website: http://harkin.senate.gov/c/
- Send a fax to Senator Harkin: 202-224-9369
- Mail a letter to Senator Harkin:

731 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Again, thank you for all your support and we’ll keep you posted on what happens next!

Sunrise Medical has stepped up to create an industry-wide Facebook page in celebration of his life. Several manufacturers are being asked to get involved, of which we absolutely agreed. We will share photos, stories, etc. We encourage those of you who knew and enjoyed Randy’s charm to do the same.

Please visit Randy’s Facebook Page.