Category — Home Healthcare

Medline has announced the acquisition of Sunchoice to enable it to enter the European market of hospital and institutional supplies distribution – leveraging their well established US know how.

Sunchoice gives them access to nearly 1000 UK nursing homes.

Medline has a relatively robust homecare business in the US and it may be only a question of time before they choose to add this to their European portfolio.

The medical durables business in France continues to suffer with recently acquired Corona (operation of Paramount in Japan) announcing a plant closure, with production moving to China.

This in contrast to medical device manufacturers Urgo in the Burgundy region and Vygon that have announced good results and resultant investment programs.

Invacare is seeking injunctive relief and suing Drive Medical for alleged patent infringement related to it’s bed products as well as it’s rollator.

Invacare had previously announced in one of it’s presentations that it would be focussing more on protecting it’s intellectual property and this action may well partially stem from this.

As more and more companies (like Invacare, Drive and others) seek to compete in the highly cost competitive “national competitive bidding” environment, and in addition increasingly source product from China and other Asian countries there are bound to be more disputes of this nature.

Press release:

Handicare acquires Ligtvoet Products

Helmond – 30 June 2009 – Handicare acquires manufacturing company Ligtvoet Products, part of the Harting-Bank Group. Ligtvoet Products, also known as Lipro, develops and manufactures care and rehab mobility products for disabled people. The dealer organisation Ligtvoet will continue to be part of the Harting-Bank Group.

Ligtvoet Products, based in Helmond, the Netherlands, is a former family business which started as a bicycle manufacturer. Since 1965 Ligtvoet Products has specialized in developing and manufacturing high-quality comfort and rehab mobility products. Ligtvoet Products has a strong position in the Dutch market and export sales to Belgium and Switzerland. For now, Ligtvoet Products will continue to operate independently under the name Lipro. Handicare aims to integrate the company’s activities into the Handicare organisation by the end of the year. Handicare will take over all Ligtvoet Products’ staff.

Handicare is one of the fastest growing healthcare companies in Europe. The company offers solutions and support to increase the independence of disabled or elderly people as well as to improve the convenience of those who are caring for them.

The acquisition of Ligtvoet Products is part of Handicare’s growth ambitions. ”We will grow both organically and through acquisitions and we have a strong development internationally”, says Rens Schoenmakers, Senior Vice President Mobility of Handicare. ”With the expertise and products of Ligtvoet Products we are now able to offer a wider range of manual and power wheelchairs, and scooters. This will strengthen our position in the Netherlands as well as in other geographical markets,” says Schoenmakers.

”We are very positive about Ligtvoet Products becoming part of Handicare,” says Marco Jungschlager, CEO of Harting-Bank Group. ”The activities of Ligtvoet Products have a very good fit with Handicare. The organisation, expertise and extensive dealer network of Handicare can contribute to further development of the Lipro products. Additionally, we are very happy for our staff. Their jobs remain in the Netherlands, close to our operation in Helmond. Our Group will be able to fully focus on service and supplying solutions to the end users,” says Jungschlager.

About Handicare
The healthcare company Handicare AS, owned by Herkules Private Equity Fund, was founded in 1986 and offers solutions and support to increase the independence of disabled or elderly people as well as to improve the convenience of those who are caring for them. Handicare’s extensive range of products is designed to satisfy specific local market needs and includes high-quality mobility products, patient handling and bathroom safety products, stair lifts and car adaptations. Through its subsidiary Puls, the Handicare Group also has a leading position in Norway in the sales of capital goods and consumables to hospitals and institutions. Handicare, headquartered in Moss, Norway, has long-established operations in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Belgium, Poland, USA and Canada, and distributes its own products to an additional 30 markets. The Handicare Group reached a sales revenue of 225 million Euros in 2008.

About Harting-Bank Group
Harting-Bank B.V., owned by NPM-Capital since 2006, was founded in 1836 and is a service-provider and supplier of care and rehab products for disabled people. The company focuses on the Dutch market, where it offers services on behalf of various customers to their clients. Customers include local authorities and health insurers. The Harting-Bank Group operates under various labels, including Harting-Bank and Ligtvoet. The Group has country-wide coverage with over 25 independent operations. Harting-Bank has chosen to focus on service and supplying solutions to end users and on qualitative and controlled growth. The Group reached a sales revenue of 100 million Euro in 2008.

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For more information, please contact:
Juliet de Kleijn
Communication Specialist
Handicare
T: +31 (0)492 593893
M: +31 (0)6 46308415
E: juliet.dekleijn@handicare.com

Source: Medcity interview by Mary Vanac

She asked Mixon:

Q. What do you think about the proposal for a government-backed health insurance plan?
A. I believe in the free market. But I think there are people who … aren’t faring well under capitalism. I think Americans feel that no one should be left out.

Q. How might a government health-care plan affect Invacare?
A. Invacare does business in 80 countries. Canada and England are government-run health care systems. We do very, very well well in those countries. And the home-care reimbursement [there] in many cases is better than they have in America.

So do other homecare companies – it’s hard to argue with the above, except to add that most European countries actively support their citizens and their health, be it at home or otherwise. They also have competitive bidding programs similar to the US proposal (for example Germany) but the governments ensure a basic fundamental right to healthcare for all their citizens – no matter what – it’s the law.

Kinda neat?

Press Release:

Handicare: moving forward – growth strategy

The German healthcare market, like most healthcare markets today, is undergoing fast and necessary change in order to serve a dynamically growing customer base – notably the aging population with increasing need for enhanced mobility.

Handicare has been recognised as a leading supplier of a wide range of high-quality, innovative mobility products in Germany since the 1990’s, establishing its own operation in 1999. To further strengthen our position in this marketplace, Handicare is continually looking for new, innovative solutions and organisational development.

We are proud to announce that, following a successful launch in various European countries, Handicare’s new power wheelchair Alex, offering a new level of comfort and choice, will soon be available in Germany, too. From 1 January 2010 the Topro products will no longer be exclusively distributed by Handicare. More new mobility programme details will be announced as we move forward.

Handicare, however, has not only seen new initiatives in the area of mobility. Earlier this year, we successfully introduced the SystemRomedic, adding a complete transfer and lifting programme to our portfolio. Our ‘Leichter Leben’ concept has now become established and, with a growing private market, we anticipate further growth in this area. To achieve this, the product offering will continue to evolve.

Thomas Appel, who has played a leadership role in building Handicare in Germany, has decided to look for new challenges. He steps down from his position as general manager with immediate effect. Handicare thanks Thomas for his contribution over the years.

Handicare has engaged Frank Barlin, Managing Partner at Sibaya LifeScience! – a renowned European healthcare management consulting company – to lead the executive search for a new general manager and ensure a smooth transition.

Per Gunnar Borhaug, President and CEO of Handicare commented “We are confident that Handicare is well-positioned for future success and we will continue to provide you with the best possible solutions and support. Of course, we will keep you informed as we move forward”.

About Handicare
Handicare, one of the fastest growing healthcare companies in Europe, offers solutions and support to increase the independence of disabled or elderly people as well as to improve the convenience of those who are caring for them. The Group’s extensive range of products is designed to satisfy specific local market needs and includes high-quality mobility products, patient handling and bathroom safety products, stair lifts and car adaptations, as well as medical consumables and technical equipment. Handicare, headquartered in Moss, Norway, has long-established operations in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Belgium, Poland, USA and Canada, and distributes its own products to an additional 30 markets. The Handicare Group reached a sales revenue of 225 million Euros in 2008.

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For more information, please contact:
Frank Barlin
Tel.: +49 (0)8142 4447770

Rens Schoenmakers
Senior Vice President
Tel.: +31 (0)492 593886

Per Gunnar Borhaug
President & CEO
Tel.: +47 69244458

More information here.

the ibot wheelchair

Independence Technology – a Johnson and Johnson company, has announced that it will be withdrawing it’s revolutionary powered mobility device from the market with immediate effect. They will however be honoring service agreements until 2013.

The chair while revolutionary in advancing a customers mobility came with a high price tag at about 22,000 US Dollars with the reimbursement agencies valuing the product at about 6,000 US Dollars – thus putting it out of reach of most people.

We had our doubts way back in 2006 – Johnson and Johnson IBOT Medicare And The Power Mobility Industry.

On an allied subject – two years ago we wrote about the Topchair which is a similar concept providing enhanced mobility for climbing stairs – this one made in France.

Consumers have a much better chance of acquiring products like these in some European countries where reimbursement rules are much more favorable as to the right to quality of mobility.

We have even noticed companies in China starting to advertise – “stair climbing wheelchairs” – but until somebody gets the functionality / cost ratio correct these products are going to go the way of the Concorde – unfortunately.