On the Claim to Fame DME podcast, hosts Alex and Wayne interview healthcare attorney Jeff Baird of Brown & Fortunato, who describes his firm’s nationwide work with DME suppliers and other providers across regulatory counseling, litigation defense, employment, and M&A. Baird traces the DME industry’s growth from Medicare’s creation in 1965 through a largely unregulated period to increased fraud scrutiny, post-payment audits, competitive bidding since 2009, expanding managed care (with 54% of Medicare beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage), and heightened PTAN revocations for technicalities. He warns that upcoming competitive bidding for “soft goods” (urological supplies, braces, ostomy, CGMs) will likely leave only 6–8 Medicare contracts per category, forcing many small suppliers to recalibrate. He discusses private equity pressures creating compliance risk (including the Medicare CPAP payment prohibition), diversification via Medicare Advantage and retail cash models, the need for state licensure and sales tax awareness when shipping, and emphasizes retaining experienced DME counsel, focusing on niches, and engaging in industry advocacy.