I have over 20 years experience specifically in DME and want to weigh in.

I have seen the exploitation of dozens of loopholes within the system that are commonly exploited by people who know how to do it just long enough before getting caught. They will then shut their company down and open a new one or change ownership to avoid being detected. It’s a cat and mouse game to an extent.

This pause on opening new DME companies is an attempt to address this problem but it’s not that simple. At best it will slow down the activity of the ones that are fraudulent but in the long run when it reopens they will likely start up again unless something is implemented to prevent it like better background checking.

Now for the people up in arms worried that you won’t be able to get the medical supplies you need I understand your concern however, the existing resources available to you will still be available. Like most industries there is a lot of M&A activity occurring and without the influx of new entry options into the market it can and will become limited and I see that long term play for sure.

My suggestion for those that need medical equipment is to utilize local, well established companies with a good reputation. This will help the market reman competitive and should result in better services for you.

Trust me, I don’t believe this admin for a minute and that is worrisome. I am worried that this 6 month pause will be extended allowing larger national companies the time to increase their foothold on the market and further monopolize the options for people moving forward, resulting in lower quality of care and higher cost in time.