Out of Equipment? Too Much Equipment? SWAP IT.

Published in Member Communities on March 25, 2020

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to grow and evolve, the demand for equipment that will be essential in treating COVID-19 in the post-acute setting, such as ventilators, oxygen concentrators, hospital beds, and likely BIPAP/CPAP/RAD equipment will likely grow as well. Based on some projections, demand could potentially end up greater than the supply of those products, resulting in shortages of equipment in certain areas.

We recognize that our members and vendor partners are critical lifelines in this crisis and would like to assist in addressing this potential shortage and help our members show the value of what the DMEPOS supplier community offers. To that end, VGM would like to help our members help supply equal demand whenever possible. Some of you will run out of equipment, while others will be sitting on a surplus of that same equipment. We are opening up our vgm.com members only portal as a venue for providers to identify areas (both geographic areas as well as equipment categories) where demand is outweighing supply, or vice versa. Providers who so choose can share/rent/buy equipment to/from one another.

It is simple.

  1. Log in to vgm.com/portal.
  2. Click on Discussion Boards.
  3. Type in your request. 
    1. Ex: I am out of concentrators and I am looking to buy 25 of them, and I am located in Seattle, WA. I need them within 2 days, does anyone have any available that they can spare? Please contact me to discuss details.
  4. Subscribe to updates so you are notified when someone has equipment or wants to buy your equipment.

From Our Experts

How the June 2025 MedPAC Report Shapes the Future of HME thumbnail How the June 2025 MedPAC Report Shapes the Future of HME The June 2025 Report to Congress from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) offers critical insights into the evolving landscape of Medicare services. While the report does not focus exclusively on home medical equipment (HME) or durable medical equipment (DME), several areas touch on themes that are highly relevant to the industry's future—particularly around home health care, Medicare Advantage (MA), and supplemental benefits. Balancing Costs and Growth: Williams Bros.' Strategies for Success thumbnail Balancing Costs and Growth: Williams Bros.' Strategies for Success Williams Bros. has been adept at managing the complexities of business expenses, improving margins, and mitigating lost opportunities. Navigating the New CMS Landscape with the HMV and RAD Decision Memo for COPD thumbnail Navigating the New CMS Landscape with the HMV and RAD Decision Memo for COPD Ronda Buhrmester, Sr. Director of Payer Relations and Reimbursement, shares insights on the newly finalized National Coverage Determination (NCD) for home mechanical ventilation (HMV) and respiratory assist devices (RAD). Balancing Costs and Growth: Williams Bros.' Strategies for Success thumbnail Balancing Costs and Growth: Williams Bros.' Strategies for Success Williams Bros. has been adept at managing the complexities of business expenses, improving margins, and mitigating lost opportunities. Balancing Costs and Growth: Williams Bros.' Strategies for Success thumbnail Balancing Costs and Growth: Williams Bros.' Strategies for Success Williams Bros. has been adept at managing the complexities of business expenses, improving margins, and mitigating lost opportunities. So Everybody Can Move Team Iowa thumbnail So Everybody Can Move Team Iowa Movement is Medicine— and a right, not a privilege. Our grassroots campaign in Iowa is dedicated to ensuring that prosthetic and orthotic devices for physical activity are recognized as medically necessary and covered by insurance. Protecting Patient Data: Proactive Cybersecurity Essentials for DMEPOS and Home Access Providers thumbnail Protecting Patient Data: Proactive Cybersecurity Essentials for DMEPOS and Home Access Providers Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting healthcare-adjacent organizations, and vulnerabilities in our systems can no longer be ignored. Tenacity, Trailblazing, & Tech: Robin Menchen's Vision for Future of HME thumbnail Tenacity, Trailblazing, & Tech: Robin Menchen's Vision for Future of HME Robin Menchen, the 2025 HME Woman of the Year, shares her advice to other aspiring leaders in the HME industry: Adopt a can-do attitude.