Does VGM Have a Turnkey Program for Surgical Dressings? Yes We Do!

Published in Wound Care on April 04, 2022

By Heather Trumm, Director of VGM Wound Care

Home Medical Equipment providers (HMEs) have many questions about surgical dressings. Many of the questions are the same, so I will address some of the topics in today’s blog.  

Does VGM Have a Turnkey Program for Surgical Dressings?

YES WE DO! Each HME functions differently, so it’s not a cookie-cutter program. But there is an onboarding process we follow. If your HME provides dressings, negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT), compression, therapeutic support surfaces, or you are looking to dip your toe into one of these categories, we can help you along that journey. 

Because of the rise of disease in America including but not limited to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, venous insufficiency, and obesity, wounds are on the rise. Wound care is not going away! 

 Why Should HMEs get into Surgical Dressings? 

Here are a few key reasons why you should consider making surgical dressings an additional revenue source.

1. Your HME is local.
2. You are great at customer service.
3. You are looking to strengthen your relationship with referral sources. Under the new reimbursement structure, many hospitals, home health agencies, and facilities are looking to partner with ancillary services to keep their costs down.
4. Your HME knows the community and is already taking care of the wound care patient.

Nuances About Dressings in the HME Market

It’s important to know the nuances of the dressing regulations in the HME market before getting into the business.

1. If a patient is being seen by home health or on a home health episode, the home health agency is responsible for their dressings (excluding negative pressure wound therapy dressing kits.)
2. For a Medicare patient to qualify for surgical dressings, one of two things must happen regarding the wound:
   • The dressings are covered for treatment of a wound caused by or treated by a surgical procedure, OR
   • Surgical dressings are required after debridement of a wound.
3. I get many calls from providers asking me if certain items are covered through Medicare. I will list the items that are not covered. BUT, if the patient wants them, they can always purchase them for cash! 
   • First aid-type bandages
   • Small adhesive bandages (band-aid type)
   • Skin sealants or barriers
   • Wound cleansers or irrigating solutions
   • Solutions to moisten gauze (i.e., saline)
   • Topical antiseptics or topical antibiotics
   • Enzymatic debriding agents, gauze, or other dressings used to clean or debride a wound
   • Silicone Gel Sheets
   • Non-elastic binder for extremity

Successful companies in the dressing space have a couple things in common. 

1. Their sales representatives are well educated.
2. The HME regularly educates their referral sources. (Referral sources could be wound care centers, podiatry, vascular, plastics, etc.) 
3. The HME brings solutions to the referral source.

For more information about our wound care program, please email me at [email protected]. I would love the opportunity to chat with you!

TAGS

1. business development
2. business solution
3. wound care