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The Putnam County
Volume 146 No. 23
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Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Traffic fatalities up in Illinois Putnam County notes two fatalities in 2013 By Ken Schroeder kschroeder@putnamcountyrecord.com
HENNEPIN — Traffic fatalities have increased nationwide during 2012 and 2013, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis-
tration. While final statistics are not available for 2013, Illinois fatalities increased in 2013 by 2.5 percent when compared to the same time in 2012. Preliminary numbers have Illinois vehicle fatal-
Perry Home Medical Supply to close
ities at 950 for 2013. The amount is 20 more than through the same period last year. Locally, traffic fatalities haven’t been a big problem, according to Putnam County Coroner Bobby Cofoid.
“We had two deaths in a single-vehicle accident in 2013,” Cofoid said. “In 2012, there were none.” Illinois drunk driving fatalities are up with a 15 percent increase from 2011. That’s well above the national average. In 2011 the number of drunk driving fatalities was 278.
That number climbed in 2012 to 321. Nationwide the number of drunk driving fatalities increased 4.6 percent with 2011 fatalities at 9,865 and 10,322 fatalities in 2012. Putnam County’s single traffic accident with fatalities was attributed
A mini hobby Pletsch enjoys her miniature donkeys
Medicare reimbursement a major factor By Terri Simon Shaw Media Service
PRINCETON — Perry Memorial Hospital has announced it will be closing its Perry Home Medical Supply store, located on the first floor of Perry’s medical office building at the hospital on Park Avenue East. “Perry Memorial Hospital, as an organization, is committed to continue to focus on quality patient care and customer service, and we also must assure our hospital can remain financially viable in a constantly changing and very turbulent environment,” said Perry’s CEO/President Rex Conger. Slowly between now and June 1 — the date anticipated for closing the service, Conger said Perry Home Medical Supply store will be eliminating its inventory and services. Conger said the biggest reason behind closing the service is Medicare and the way it reimburses the hospital. “Medicare has reduced what they are willing to pay for, and secondly, if you bill for something and they don’t think you did it right, then you have to send (the money) back to them,” Conger said. In a press release issued by Perry, it said Medicare has focused nationwide on durable medical equipment (DME) service providers like Perry Home Medical, putting many changes and regulatory requirements into place. Coupled with those Vol. 146 No. 23 One Section - 12 Pages The Putnam County
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changes and regulations, the billing requirements not just for Medicare, but also commercial insurance providers and Medicaid continually evolve and are complex, in that rules and guidelines for billing are different for each provider, which makes it increasingly more difficult for small DME stores. “A hospital-owned DME retail store like ours does not have the resources large DME companies have to keep up with the changes and meet the new requirements,” Conger said. “This leads to increased risk for fraudulent billing, which could lead to penalties, fines, sanctions and a tarnished reputation.” Another issue revolving around the upcoming closure is the size of Perry’s store. Because it is small and doesn’t have the sales volume of a much larger facility, the store is unable to buy products in quantities, which would afford them discounts. “Online services are able to buy huge amounts of product, so they end up being able to discount it, whereas we are small and not capable of that kind of inventory,” Conger said. Considering those factors, Conger said the hospital is concerned with the financial impact Perry Home Medical has on the hospital’s bottom line. The service has not been able to break even for the last four fiscal years.
See Closing Page 2
to alcohol consumption Cofoid said. The Illinois Department of Transportation shows 10 people have died in fatal crashes last year during the 2012 Christmas holiday season on Illinois roads. Of the 10 people, two of the fatalities involved a driver who had been drinking.
By Dixie Schroeder dschroeder@putnamcountyrecord.com
Putnam County Record photo/Dixie Schroeder
Marilyn Pletsch enjoys her miniature donkeys. She currently has seven of the animals.
McNABB — Described as spoiled rotten and being like babies, Marilyn Pletsch has a rather unique set of animals on the farm where she and her husband, Roger, make their home in rural McNabb. Since 2000, Marilyn has raised miniature donkeys. “A friend of mine in Sparland raised them,” she said. “She is just a lovely lady. She raised miniature horses and miniature donkeys. I spent some time over there, and I liked them.” The current crop of miniature donkeys the Pletsch family owns are from Arkansas. From her initial four Jennies, female miniature donkeys, and a Jack, male miniature donkey, she has grown her group to seven Jennies and a Jack. “I want to enjoy it; I don’t want it to become a chore,” she said. The gestation of a miniature donkey is a year. Through the years, Pletsch’s various miniature donkeys have had more than 40 babies. Pletsch has sold several to area families as well as families out of state who are also enjoying the animals. “Usually I sell them at about 5 months old. I want the animal to be tame, be gentle, so that the person receiving the miniature donkey will enjoy it,” Pletsch said. As an animal breeder, Pletsch works hard to
See Pletsch Page 2