Washington Legislative Conference
May 22 -23, 2013

Congress needs to hear from the homecare community about the disastrous effects Medicare’s bidding program and CMS’ audit practices will have on your business.

Join your peers for the homecare community’s dedicated Capitol Hill lobby day on May 23. Visit House and Senate offices to speak with your Senators and Representatives face-to-face about the reality confronting homecare providers as they try to care for our country’s most vulnerable citizens—the elderly and disabled.

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Stop the Bidding Program!

Actions, Tools, and Tips for Homecare Providers, Patients & Other DME Stakeholders to Use with Capitol Hill
If you've reached your breaking point with CMS' bidding program, the time to act is now!  Every homecare provider and HME stakeholder must take action and make things happen! Please contact your members of Congress and tell them what Round Two prices will mean for your company and your patients.

Send a Letter to Capitol Hill
The AAHomecare Take Action Center—found at action.aahomecare.org—allows you to quickly and easily send a message to your Senators and Representative about the bidding program. While sample language is included, you can customize this letter to fit your own perspectives and experiences about the bidding program; any anecdotes about the effects the bidding program will have on your patients and your community are particularly helpful.

Follow Up with a Phone Call
Take 10 minutes to call Senate and House offices about the bidding program. You can look up your Representatives and find office phone numbers here.

What’s the Message?
The best message is the one that comes from your perspectives and experiences as a home medical equipment professional, and what the bidding program will mean for your business and the people who depend on the products and services you provide. Industry-wide perspectives about key failings with the bidding program are available in this issue summary and talking points to help you make the case putting a halt to the current bidding program – additional resources can also be found here.

Share Your Bidding Stories & Concerns
AAHomecare is collecting data on the impact of the recently released Round 2 competitive bidding payment rates through CBRound2Problems@aahomecare.org. Please share data or stories about how the bidding program is affecting your business and/or beneficiaries. AAHomecare will use this information to help demonstrate real-life problems with the bidding program to Capitol Hill audiences.

We need a concerted and passionate response from all segments of the homecare community to stem the tide and convince Congress to take action on the bidding program before Round Two goes into effect on July 1. 

It’s time to step up, to fight back, and to make sure Congress understands what’s at stake.
 

About AAHomecare
The American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) works to strengthen access to care for the millions of Americans who require medical care in their homes. AAHomecare represents healthcare providers, equipment manufacturers, and other organizations in the homecare community. AAHomecare members serve the medical needs of millions of Americans who require oxygen equipment and therapy, mobility assistive technologies, medical supplies, inhalation drug therapy, home infusion, and other home medical equipment, therapies, services, and supplies in the home. Membership reflects a broad cross-section of the homecare community, including providers of all sizes operating approximately 3,000 locations in all 50 states.

The association advocates on behalf of the entire homecare community in legislative and regulatory arenas. On a daily basis, AAHomecare staff and government relations consultants communicate with Members of Congress, key Committees, and Congressional staff as well as various federal agencies, especially the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

AAHomecare also provides information about compliance issues, industry trends and data, forums for education and training, networking opportunities, and consumer information.

The American Association for Homecare strongly encourages members to take an active role in legislative matters by establishing ongoing relationships with their Members of Congress and state legislators and by participating in the AAHomecare PAC.