VGM Group

If you know me, you’ve heard me say it before…..wound care is important for all DMEPOS providers becauseevery patient has skin, and skin health affects eachof us. The skin is our largest organ. Not only does itprotect us against the ever-changing environment,it also maintains our integrity. Without propertreatment to lacerations, surgical incisions, burns, andinjuries, the “wound” could lead to life threateningconsequences. All providers—whether home, durablemedical equipment, or specialized services such asmastectomy care—see patients who are prone toskin issues because of co morbidities, surgeries, oradvanced age.If you can’t tell, I’m trying to make the case thateveryone should be in wound care. If you haven’tconsidered expanding or elevating your businesswith wound care, you should. It’s human nature to shyaway from wounds, and you may not know what toask or how to get started (VGM Wound Care can helpwith that). But your patients have health issues whichput them at an increased risk for skin breakdown.Respiratory issues, cardiovascular problems, diabetics,para- and quadriplegia are just a few of the conditionsthat increase the risk for skin breakdown and wounds.The hard part is done—you are already taking care ofthe patient…why not take care of the entire patient?

Getting Started

Start small with wound care by choosing one categoryand building on it. Wound care is typically broken

down into five categories when we are looking at theDMEPOS provider and what they provide.

Five Categories of Wound Care

1. Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT)

2. Support Surfaces

3. Nutritional Products

4. Compression Therapy

5. Wound Care Dressings

Unsure of which category would be best for yourbusiness? Start by asking questions. Talk to yourpatients and ask: Who is currently providing you withwound care dressings, lotion, compression, diabeticsupplies, etc.?Next, probe your current referral sources.

Places tostart include:

• Home health agencies

• Discharge planners

• Case managers

• Wound care clinics

• Vascular surgeons

• Rehab centers

• Long-term care facilities

• Ambulatory/outpatient surgery centers

• Orthopedic surgeons

Good questions to ask those referral sources are: Whoare you currently using for dressings, NPWT, nutritionalsupplementation, etc.? What do you like about theproduct and services they provide? What don’t you like?It’s a very good idea to assign a team member to lead thisdepartment or category.

“Start by talking with your patients. You’ll soon find out  you could be in the wound care market, providing supplies and equipment, taking care of all their healthcare needs at home”

Talking with your patients and their referral sources,along with market analysis and research, will provideyou with the necessary information you need to makea sound decision about expanding into wound care.Look to see where the gaps are and ask yourself ifyou’re willing and able to fill them. If you answer yes tothese questions, wound care would be a great avenueto pursue. For the best chance at success, assign ateam member to lead this department or category.

Generally, this person would have a sales andmarketing background in the key area you are looking to expand.

Payer Mix and Profitability

After identifying the growth opportunity, determineyour payer mix next. Who are you going to bill?

Medicare? Private insurance? Contract with a longtermcare facility? Perhaps it’s a combination of them.

This is a big decision to make. Make sure to checkout the VGM Wound Care Guide for a full breakdownwhen considering your payer mix. After you decide,you’ll only have a little paperwork to do.

Wound care can be profitable in every category.

To give you an example:

With NPWT, the pump is the main revenue source (it’sa rental product). One pump generally costs around$2,000. The Medicare fee schedule—depending onstate, rural, non-rural, and the point of service—canvary from $800–$1,400 per month per patient. Theaverage length of stay for one patient on negativepressure is 45 days (two-month billing cycle). Youcould have one pump paid for after one patient. Thedisposables that are billed with the pump (A6550 –kits and A7000 – canisters) are generally reimbursed at what they cost.

If you’re interested in finding a more specific returnon investment of NPWT, VGM has a proprietary

profitability calculator on the wound care portalavailable for members to download. There, you’ll alsofind profitability calculators for surgical dressings andsupport surfaces.

Don’t Panic. Reach Out for Help

Let’s pause. That is a lot of information. And yes, itwill take some work on your part. Don’t panic—VGM

Wound Care can help every step of the way. Themembers-only portal on vgm.com is full of resources

to help you, including forms, policies, procedures,profitability calculators, and full guides on how to be

successful in wound care.

. I’ll get you started

with a Wound Care 101 presentation that furtherexplains the wound care market. On the regulatory

and reimbursement side, Ronda Buhrmester and CraigDouglas will help you navigate the payer mixes andreimbursement. And to be confident you’re sendinga clean claim out the door, The van Halem Group can review the first two orders to make sure they meet all compliance and audit standards.

Being part of VGM Wound Care also provides youwith a group of colleagues and mentors to help you

throughout the process. This includes vendor partnerswho will help keep you competitive in the market

you choose to enter. VGM Wound Care has the tools,solutions, and resources for you to thrive in the woundcare market.

Start by talking with your patients. You’ll soon find outthat you could be in the wound care market, providingsupplies and equipment to your patients and takingcare of all their healthcare needs at home.