December 2018

Welcome

Happy holidays from ActivStyle! As we approach the end of 2018, the team at ActivStyle would like to take this time to say thank you. We appreciate that you trust your clients’ medical supply needs to ActivStyle. From everyone at ActivStyle, we wish you and yours happiness, health, and a new year filled with prosperity.

Health News

Insight into Continence Management

More than 18 million American women and approximately 7 million men suffer from incontinence. While you might think that it is a condition that only affects older individuals, you may be surprised that it affects people of all ages. Many suffer in silence because it is an embarrassing topic to discuss with friends, family, or health care providers.

At ActivStyle, we believe that knowledge is power. Helping your clients to live confidently with incontinence is a primary mission for our organization. Every individual who works for ActivStyle is dedicated to helping to improve the lives of those who we serve.

Urinary incontinence can be intractable and ongoing. You may have a client who is newly diagnosed. Or you may have assessed your client, carried out investigations, tried conservative therapies and possibly even surgery. You’ve tried everything and your client still has urinary incontinence and they are desperately looking to you for help and advice.

As well as providing treatment and therapy options, health professionals and case managers have an important role to play in assisting clients to live with their condition and better manage it in their daily lives, regardless of where they are in the treatment trajectory. You play an important role in assisting clients to deal with the emotional impact of urinary incontinence, as you are sometimes the only person with whom the problem is discussed frankly. Rather than simply treat it as a nuisance, you can offer knowledge and support that can assist your clients to problem-solve and develop plans for living more effectively with urinary incontinence. This will improve clients’ quality of life, minimize or prevent secondary problems, and give them more control over their lives.

All people with urinary incontinence self-manage, but not always in ways that contribute to living independent and pleasurable lives. Research has shown that urinary incontinence has a major impact on physical, emotional, and social health and wellbeing, including sleep problems, psychological distress, restrictions in physical activity, travel, leisure, work, relationships, and sexuality. The consequences of urinary incontinence can include embarrassment, odor, social isolation, stigma, and financial cost, and it can even lead to institutionalization and depression.

Urinary incontinence can range from mild (for example, a few drops when coughing or sneezing) to severe (such as gushing without warning). However, the bother and impact of urinary incontinence is not simply related to severity. It depends on many personal characteristics such as age, gender, activity level, context (such as work situation), lifestyle, and relationships. Very mild urinary incontinence can have a major and devastating impact on one person, while another with more severe incontinence may manage it with less stress.

If you have clients dealing with incontinence, ActivStyle is your partner in patient care. Our representatives are trained to recommend appropriate products to help your client manage their incontinence and live full, dignified lives without the shame and embarrassment that often comes with being incontinent. We’ll ship their products to them every month in discreet brown boxes and follow up with them each month to make sure they need the products and to see if their needs have changed. Have peace of mind that when you put your patient in the capable hands of the ActivStyle team, that they will have what they need to effectively manage their incontinence.

If you have questions for the ActivStyle Provider Services staff, feel free to give them a call toll-free at 855-373-5141, Monday thru Friday, 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Central Time. If you have clients who you would like to refer to ActivStyle for supplies, you may conveniently make referrals online.

 

FAQs

Q: What are the HCPC codes and pricing of ActivStyle’s products?

A: ActiveStyle bills using the standard HCPC codes for medical supplies. We are contracted with many Medicaid plans, Medicaid replacement plans, Medicare and Medicare replacement plans, and commercial insurance plans. Product pricing is based on our contacts with individual insurance plans. We can easily supply specific pricing and HCPC codes upon request, based on the insurance, and client needs. We would simply need to know the name of the insurance, the client’s ID/policy number, the items being requested, and quantities of products being ordered.

Q: Are all products covered by my client’s insurance plan?

A: Coverage varies from one insurance plan to the next. As part of our service, we determine if a particular product is covered by your client’s specific plan.

Q: Who is responsible for getting the insurance authorizations for healthcare supplies?

A: ActivStyle employs a team of authorization specialists experienced in the protocols and requirements for obtaining authorization from the payer. Our knowledgeable staff will contact the payer and the ordering physician, when applicable, to verify coverage and obtain authorization for products.

 

Product News

Booster Pads Provide Added Protection

Do your clients experience leaks and need extra absorbency from their diapers or pullups? A great way to prevent leaky diapers (besides wearing the right size and type) is to use a booster pad.

Booster pads can be used in conjunction with any disposable incontinence undergarment, brief, or adult diaper. Also called diaper inserts or diaper doublers, booster pads are worn inside another absorbent undergarment, such as an adult brief or pullup, to increase the absorbency and minimize changes, providing an extra layer of protection. Booster pads will improve comfort, confidence, and overall wearability.

Booster pads are also an economical way to extend the use of any disposable undergarments or adult diapers. These incontinence pads fit easily inside an adult diaper and allow for quick and easy cleanup.

The flow-through design of booster pads allows the wetness to flow through the booster pad and into the underlying diaper which prevents leaks from the leg openings. When the booster pad fills to capacity, any additional liquid will pass through to the disposable undergarment below. Plus, the design of the booster pad provides better airflow than a traditional incontinence pad, helping to reduce urinary tract infections.

Booster Pads are placed over the core of any disposable undergarment or adult diaper. As an incontinence booster pad, they are designed to extend the wear of the original undergarment and may be used to reduce nighttime changes and improve sleep patterns as well as minimizing caregiver stress. The slim design also allows for comfort and mobility when a little extra protection might be needed away from home.

Some booster pads have adhesive backing to hold the pad securely in place. If one booster pad is not enough, you can “double up” or stack one on top of another to provide a double layer of extra prevention. Booster pads may be used by women or men.

Special features included in adult booster pads is a soft texture for easy clean up and an hourglass shape designed to contain bowel incontinence. Adhesive strips secure the adult booster pad to the adult diaper.

If you think that your client could benefit from the use of a booster pad, please contact ActivStyle for recommendations and eligibility requirements. Our goal is to make your life easier and keep your clients dry and comfortable.

 

Working with ActivStyle

Wouldn’t it be great if you spent less time mired in case-related paperwork and details and more time helping those who need you? ActivStyle is a full-service provider of high-quality, high-value home medical supplies serving thousands of practitioners and case managers across the United States. Our product expertise and knowledge of constantly changing state and federal regulations allow us to give you — and the clients who depend on you — the level of service you need and deserve. Founded in 1997 in Minneapolis, MN, ActivStyle has grown to over 200 employees compassionately serving patients in 47 states with their medical supply needs. Specializing in incontinence, urological, and ostomy supplies, our trained Product Experts are available to discuss product options, insurance benefits, free delivery, or product samples. Feel free to call one of our Provider Services representatives toll-free at 855-373-5141, they’ll be happy to talk with you and answer any questions you may have about our products, services, or take a referral over the phone. You may also conveniently make client or patient referrals online. At ActivStyle, we’re dedicated to making your life easier.