May 2019

Welcome

Thanks for being part of the ActivStyle family. At ActivStyle, we like to think of our patients and their healthcare providers or case managers as family. We appreciate that you trust your clients’ medical supply needs to ActivStyle. We strive to treat every patient with compassion and dignity. We wouldn’t be here were it not for the patients we serve. At ActivStyle, every employee strives to have a positive impact on the lives of our valued customers.

Health News

Why do People Lose Bladder Control?
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians millions of adults in the United States experience urinary incontinence. It’s more common among women and people over 50 years of age. But anyone, of any age, can be affected by this condition.

Your kidneys are constantly producing urine. Thin tubes called ureters carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder, where it is stored. The bladder should stay relaxed while it is filling and the urethra (the tube that expels urine from the bladder) should remain tight. When the decision is made to urinate, the urethra relaxes, the bladder squeezes, and urine flows out. This is a complex process. The ability to control urination can be disrupted in different ways, resulting in incontinence.

There are five types of urinary incontinence:

• Stress Incontinence – Stress incontinence happens when physical movement or activity — such as coughing, sneezing, running or heavy lifting — puts pressure (stress) on your bladder.
• Urge Incontinence – Urge incontinence occurs when you have a sudden urge to urinate.
• Overflow Incontinence – Urine loss without any apparent reason
• Functional Incontinence – When there is normal urine control, but it’s difficult to get to the bathroom because of another condition like arthritis or other disease that impedes mobility.
• Mixed Incontinence – This type involves more than one of the types of incontinence listed above.

Anyone who experiences urinary incontinence should talk to their doctor. Those who try to hide incontinence may risk getting rashes, sores, skin infections, and urinary tract infections. Loss of social interaction is also a problem for people dealing with incontinence because they may avoid friends and family from fear and embarrassment.

For your clients who deal with incontinence, make their lives easier by referring them to ActivStyle. Call us toll-free at 855-373-5141, we’ll be happy to talk with you and take a referral over the phone, or you may conveniently make referrals online.

FAQs

Q: Why can’t you get a diagnosis from the doctor?
A:  We ask what the current medical conditions are for a client before we send a prescription to the doctor for a couple of reasons:  First, to verify that the client meets the basic criteria for receiving any product based on state Medicaid requirements.  Second, we send the doctor a prescription filled out with all the required information, including the diagnoses of the client. This saves time for the doctor as he only has to review the prescription, sign it, and return it to us.

Q: Why do you need Medicare information if you are not going to bill Medicare?
A: Each state Medicaid program has different billing requirements. Some require we bill a client’s primary and some do not. The states will periodically change their requirements with little notice to us. It is best for us to have all active insurances on a client’s account, should there be any changes in what and who we can bill for any given products.

We want to hear what FAQ topics you are interested in seeing! If you have questions or suggestions for future FAQs, please email us at .

If you have other questions for the ActivStyle staff, feel free to give us a call at 855-373-5141, Monday thru Friday, 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Central Time. We want to make your life easy, so you can provide the best service and information to those you serve.

Product News

Double Stacking of Products Doesn’t Work

Do you have clients who double stack products? Some people try to increase absorbency of a pull-up or diaper by inserting a bladder control pad inside. Sometimes people think that using more than one absorbent product at a time will help the products work better. But the truth is that products are not designed to be stacked on top of each other and doing so may cause more leakage and possible skin irritation.

• Absorbent products feature a waterproof layer to ensure liquid doesn’t leak out.
• Only the product closest to the skin is working.
• If you use two or more products at the same time, the product on the top is the only one that will work.
• The bottom product will not absorb anything because its being covered by the top product.
• If the top product can’t absorb everything, liquid will leak from the product.

Negative Effects of Stacking

• Product leaks because products are not designed to be stacked.
• Increased risk of infection because of bad cleaning habits.
• Moisture build-up can lead to skin irritation.

There is only one product that should be put inside another incontinence product: a booster pad. Booster pads, also known as “doublers” or “inserts”, are designed to be worn inside another absorbent undergarment to increase the absorbency. They do not have a waterproof backing so urine will flow through the booster pad and into the diaper underneath. Multiple, stacked booster pads may be used to increase absorbency.

If you have questions about incontinence products, our factory-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. Our representatives can also take patient referrals over the phone or you can conveniently make referrals online.

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, Minnesota, 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 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.