A purchasing agreement with The MED Group goes far beyond negotiated pricing and terms normally associated with a "buying group." We work to develop long lasting relationships with our suppliers, and support them in a number of ways, which include:

In order to become a MED Member, each applicant must undergo a rigorous approval process. We review applicants' financial statements, credit history and management background, as well as levels of service. Our Members truly are the most highly respected in the industry. Many of our Members serve in key leadership positions at both state and national levels in organizations such as AAH, HIDA, NCART, NRRTS, and RAMP.

As a part of their membership agreement with The MED Group, Members agree to use MED contracted suppliers to purchase a specified percent of the products and services they use or resell. This percent varies depending on key factors such as business mix and referral base. This policy enhances contract commitment among our Members and helps to create greater value in the contract relationship our suppliers form with MED.

The MED Certified Repair Centers (CRC) Program is the only technician certification program within the HME industry. The CRC Program ensures that suppliers have qualified service technicians representing their products. As a part of this program, qualified supplier technical service personnel are invited to instruct at our seminars.

The MED Group National Rehab Network consists of the leading rehab providers in the industry. This Network of providers benefits from special educational training programs, networking opportunities, discussion forums, state and national representation, and special contract agreements offering discounts, programs, and benefits. suppliers may negotiate contracts that are exclusive to Rehab Network Members as well as offer additional terms and discounts to Network Members.

The MED Group National Respiratory Network consists of leading respiratory providers in the industry. These Members receive the same features and benefits as those mentioned under the National Rehab Network, with exclusive contracts, discounts, and benefits.

The MED Group has established independent Product Councils to help monitor market conditions in specific segments of the HME industry. Each council is comprised of MED Member representatives with expertise in purchasing, sales, reimbursement, and service. They provide feedback regarding changes to the market in relation to pricing, product development, reimbursement, and performance standards.

MED contracted suppliers are the first to know of changes within the MED membership. New Member acquisitions and new branch locations or relocations are reported immediately. This keeps our suppliers in the know and in position to follow up with new prospective customers.

MED Members provide valuable feedback via a supplier evaluation form that is a part of each of our supplier contract profiles. Members are given the opportunity to evaluate suppliers' performance in eleven areas including delivery timeliness, product quality, and customer service.

The MED Group field representatives, or Regional Managers (RMs), work as consultants, identifying mutually beneficial opportunities for Members, suppliers, and MED. RMs assist suppliers in identifying potential opportunities for new or increased business. They work with Members to establish and monitor contract commitment levels, educate Members on new products and services, and inform them of current supplier promotions.

MED serves as a liaison between the Member and supplier, resolving certain matters related to the terms of the agreement. This results in better understanding and stronger relationships between our Members and suppliers.

The MED Group has the highest average purchasing volume per Member of any GPO in the HME industry. With the costs associated with servicing an HME account being what they are, suppliers are assured of their potential for greater return on their sales dollar.

Smart Choice is an online gross profit analysis tool. This tool allows Members to quickly see by equipment type and funding scenario, which supplier's models yield the greatest gross profit potential.

Each time a contract supplier makes a change to contract product pricing, MED faxes and emails a pricing update notification. Members can also access all price changes electronically in MED*Web.

The MED Group can support your sales efforts by administrating a sales incentive program for our Members. Typically, a supplier will provide a rebate to Members that achieve a certain level of annual volume growth, provided The MED Group, as a whole, achieves an overall growth target with the supplier. MED routinely reports contract performance to each Member indicating their progress toward their goal.

The MED Group has developed Volume Tracker to track and report each Member's contract volume, enabling MED to constantly drive contract commitment among our membership. In addition to reporting each Member's volume per supplier, Volume Tracker also identifies opportunities for additional purchasing growth by evaluating underutilized contracts.

We work closely with our suppliers to support their revenue goals. Formal business reviews are conducted on a routine basis with our contract suppliers. Marketing plans are reviewed and supported by The MED Group through regular communication with our Members.

Each contract supplier has a Contract Profile housed in our Members Only area of MED*Web, our nationwide extranet. This profile contains information about the supplier's products and services, account set-up information, contract pricing and terms, programs and benefits, as well as warranty and contact information.

The MED Group sets the same high standards for its suppliers as it does for its Members. These high standards limit the number of suppliers we have in our portfolio in a given product category. Our Members benefit by consolidating their purchases and knowing they are dealing with only the highest quality suppliers. Our suppliers benefit by not having their purchasing power diluted.

As a part of the membership agreement with The MED Group, Members agree to grant adequate time to contract suppliers' sales representatives during scheduled appointments. Because of this, contracted suppliers can feel confident that they will be given every opportunity to present the benefits of their company.

We believe that the purchasing agreement is just the beginning of a successful business relationship. The MED Group Contract Launch Team, consisting of our Group Purchasing Department, Communications Department, and Regional Managers, works closely with our new contracted suppliers to develop an effective launch program. These programs are designed to communicate the advantages and benefits associated with the new partnership as quickly as possible.

MED contracted suppliers can advertise and post news bulletins on our extranet. Whether they are launching a new product or announcing a change in policy, the MED*Web extranet is a perfect way for suppliers to get their message out quickly and effectively to Members.

Our Communications Department works closely with our contract suppliers to develop and implement special promotions. Because of their ongoing relationships with our Members, the RMs are able to approach key decision-makers regarding the details of current promotions. The Partners in Marketing program offers MED contracted suppliers the opportunity to supplement supplier promotional campaigns for a contract launch of a new or renewed contract; periodic promotions of new or existing products; and product spotlights to renew interest in an existing product. MED utilizes various means of communicating information to Members. Some examples include MED*Web banner ads, email announcements, direct mailings, newsletter articles, and e-conferences.

Contracted suppliers are given the opportunity to sponsor special events for MED Members throughout the year. Many suppliers sponsor golf tournaments, dinners, receptions, or other social events at MED CEO Retreats, MED Monday, or network seminars. Strong recognition and promotion are provided to each sponsoring supplier, and in many cases they are given the opportunity to address the general membership at the event.

Each year, The MED Group publishes our own Medtrade literature, highlighting special MED events, such as MED Monday, network meetings, and educational opportunities. Many MED-sponsored Medtrade events encourage a presence of our suppliers, whether through sponsorship invitations or speaking opportunities. Medtrade maps are also distributed before and during the event, highlighting each of our contracted suppliers’ booths on the showroom floor.