Mixed Mood After AAHomecare Conference
- Greg Thompson
WASHINGTON, DC - Doc fix/payroll tax extension legislation slipped off the table last week, but more than 300 advocates still took the opportunity to argue against competitive bidding and for the value of home care. more »

Retail Pharmacy Under Attack: 1963 to Now
- Chuck Blackburn
TARENTUM, PA - Merging PBMs is no different than what CMS has done to the HME industry with competitive bidding. It will end up creating monopolies in health care. more »

High Stakes on Capitol Hill
- Greg Thompson
WASHINGTON, DC - Cautious optimism reigns on the eve of the AAHomecare Legislative Conference, with advocates marshaling arguments for what many believe could be the last best hope to defeat competitive bidding. more »

Comp Bidding Demonstration on TV News
HELENA, MT - Montana providers appeared in a local television news broadcast following their Feburary 2 “push back” demonstration. more »

Big Time Sparring in Wall Street Journal
NEW YORK - A week of national media sparring over competitive bidding ended with Feb 10 published letters to the Wall Street Journal—one from Invacare chief Mal Mixon, and one from the deputy administrator of CMS. more »

Wherever You Are, Contact Congress!
- Michael Reinemer
WASHINGTON, DC - If you can’t be in Washington this week, you can still be heard. You can still be effective. Call your Senators and your Representative. more »

Medtrade Spring 2012: Oasis of Education
LAS VEGAS - Whatever happens on the legislative front, savvy providers can gain a foothold through education and networking opportunities found at Medtrade. more »

Advocates Urge Phone Calls and Online Petition in Support of AAHomecare Conference
WASHINGTON, DC - While AAHomecare Legislative Conference attendees prepare to meet with legislators on Capitol Hill, advocates are asking providers to reinforce the message with phone calls and an online petition. more »

Make a Difference
- Georgie Blackburn
TARENTUM, PA - Our advocacy really does not go unnoticed. Whether with a clinical referral source, a patient, or our legislators, it makes a difference. more »

Mixon and Brant Nab Legislative Advocate Awards
WASHINGTON, DC - The American Association for Homecare will present its newly created Legislative Advocate Award to A. Malachi “Mal” Mixon and Robert Brant. more »

Yes, There is a Conference and You CAN Make a Difference
- Sean Schwinghammer
FLORIDA - A few weeks ago at a competitive bidding seminar, I recommended that all attendees go to the AAHomecare Legislative Conference. Most of the assembled were perplexed. more »

Cramton Report Reverberates as MPP Push Intensifies
COLLEGE PARK, MD - Two weeks after economist Peter Cramton, PhD, reported that HME bid items had plummeted in all bidding categories in 2011, the University of Maryland professor’s insights continue to make an impact. more »

AAHomecare Conference Fee Now $0 for Members, $100 for Non-Members
WASHINGTON, DC - AAHomecare has decided to pay the full registration fee for all attendees from member companies at the 2012 Washington Legislative Conference. more »

Concerted Effort Needed in DC
- Seth Johnson
EXETER, PA - Congress is currently up against a February 29 deadline to extend the “payroll tax” and “Doc fix/SGR.” more »

AAHomecare: Gearing Up for “Final Push” Feb 15-16
WASHINGTON, DC - Early bird rates have been extended to 1/24, and advocates warn that the window for the market pricing program will close in about 45 days. more »

Drop in Round One Claims: “Numbers Are Astounding”
- Greg Thompson
Claims for HME bid items plummeted in all bidding categories in 2011, with complex rehab taking an 82% drop. more »

Medtrade Spring: Registration is Open
LAS VEGAS - With changes coming down the pike, Medtrade Spring is a great way to gain valuable knowledge that is vital to your business. more »

Competitive Bidding: Lessons from Valley Forge
- John Shirvinsky
HARRISBURG, PA - It is understandable that the HME industry is feeling beaten down and weary from the long and seemingly futile battle to halt the Medicare “competitive” bidding program. more »

Last Day for AAHomecare Conference Early Bird Rate
WASHINGTON, DC - AAHomecare officials agree that this year’s Legislative Conference, from Feb 15-16, will be a critical opportunity to let lawmakers know about the market pricing program (MPP) alternative to competitive bidding. more »

Legislative Conference: No Time Like the Present
- Cara C. Bachenheimer
ELYRIA, OH - We now have a significant opportunity to persuade Congress to act on the industry’s proposed legislative solution to fix the Medicare DME competitive bidding program. more »

AAHomecare Legislative Conference: No Time Like the Present
- Cara C. Bachenheimer
ELYRIA, OH - We now have a significant opportunity to persuade Congress to act on the industry’s proposed legislative solution to fix the Medicare DME competitive bidding program. more »

Early Bird Deadline Looms
WASHINGTON, DC - This year’s AAHomecare Legislative Conference, from Feb 15-16, will be a critical opportunity to let legislators know about the MPP alternative to competitive bidding. more »

Medtrade Spring 2012: Registration is Open
LAS VEGAS - Registration is in full swing for Medtrade Spring and the AAHomecare Legislative Conference. Don't miss your chance to get involved in 2012. more »

Opportunity is Knocking
- Jeff Woodham
LUBBOCK, TX - The HME industry is currently experiencing as much chaos as one group of business people should ever be asked to experience. more »

Now More Than Ever: Get Involved
- Joel D. Marx
AAHomecare is holding its 2012 Washington Legislative Conference from February 15-16. Your legislators in Congress need to know the facts. more »

Knowledge Equals Hope in 2012
- Kevin Gaffney, CEM
ATLANTA - It is your industry, and Medtrade and Medtrade Spring are your shows. more »

MPP Still Alive as New Year Approaches
WASHINGTON, DC - All signs point to Congressional action on the physician payment issue (doc fix) in the new year. Advocates see it as a plus, but only if enough providers choose to get active. more »

State Associations: Now More Than Ever
- Carol Napierski
ALBANY, NY - Associations are the heart of the industry and fill a critical role by becoming the main source members go to in times of crisis. more »

Public Confidence in Pharmacists Hits Record High
ALEXANDRIA, VA - A recent Gallup survey found that pharmacists were the second most trusted profession in America. Members of Congress were the least trusted. more »

HHS Touts Fraud Recovery Figures
WASHINGTON, DC - The Obama Administration’s Campaign to Cut Waste has recovered more than $5.6 billion in fraudulent billings in 2011, a 167% increase from 2008. more »

Comp Bidding Alternative Still a Possibility in Doc Fix
- Greg Thompson
WASHINGTON, DC - The physician payment bill (doc fix) can still serve as a legislative vehicle to replace competitive bidding, but advocates need every last voice to convince legislators. more »

Bid Registration: Work Hard or Work Smart
- Rob Brant
MIAMI - Understand that many bid winners in round one have already closed successful businesses. more »

Early Bird Deadline Looms for AAHomecare Conference
WASHINGTON, DC - Registration and hotel discounts are available through January 16 for AAHomecare’s Washington Legislative Conference. The actual conference runs from February 15-16, 2012. more »

Remote Monitoring Bill Would Provide Incentives to HHAs
WASHINGTON, DC - 
HHAs offer different services than DME companies, but HHA advocates use much of the same rationale when defending themselves in Washington, DC. more »

Competitive Bidding: "Greater Scrutiny" in Round Two
- Greg Thompson
WASHINGTON, DC - CMS indicated that “bids will undergo greater scrutiny,” and Lisa M. Getson has been reading the fine print in an effort to determine what that means. more »

Continue Medtrade Connections at Shelly Sounds Off, a Blog for the HME Industry
Shelly Prial, Medtrade ambassador and 60-year veteran of the HME industry, is the host of Shelly Sounds Off, a blog that focuses on survival tactics, advice, and news updates. more »

Will Congress See the Light?
- Georgie Blackburn
TARENTUM, PA - As a taxpayer, I wish legislators in DC could simply concentrate on doing the job they were elected to perform—no fundraising and no PR events. more »

AAHomecare’s Bennewith Takes Job with United Spinal Association
NEW YORK - AAHomecare’s senior manager of Government Affairs has taken a position with the United Spinal Association as its new director of Government Relations. more »

NCPA Decries Restrictive Medicare Drug Plans
ALEXANDRIA, VA - Officials at the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) believe that many of the current “restricted network” Medicare Part D prescription drug plans are deceptively marketed. more »

Super Committee Stalemate: What’s Next?
- Greg Thompson
WASHINGTON, DC - Cutting $1.2 trillion from the federal deficit is a tall task, and last week’s congressional “super committee” was not up to it. more »

Possible Reasons for the DMEPOS Payment Error Rate
- Lisa M. Getson
LAKE FOREST, CA - It is likely that at least a third of the DMEPOS error rate is due to the retroactive application of fairly new audit standards, especially for oxygen and CPAP. more »

AAHomecare Disputes CMS Data on Errors
WASHINGTON, DC - CMS sparked incredulity throughout the industry with its findings of a 61% improper payment rate for the HME sector in 2011. more »

Super Committee Edges Toward Recommendations
WASHINGTON, DC - The so-called congressional super committee is two days away from submitting its plan to cut the deficit, and home care advocates say providers should be concerned. more »

Cramton Speaks: Fatal Flaws in Competitive Bidding Must Be Addressed
Peter Cramton, PhD, believes congressional staff members understand the problems of competitive bidding. The problem is they lack the political will to do anything about it. more »

HME Gets 2.4% Update in 2012 DMEPOS Fee Schedule
WASHINGTON, DC - Increase is "ray of sunshine" for providers, but does not apply to bid items in round one areas. more »

Communicating with Congress is No Extracurricular Activity
- Rob Brant
WASHINGTON, DC - This past July, during a prime time speech to the nation, President Obama urged Americans to make their voices heard on the debt ceiling issue. more »

Patient Advocacy Line introduced at Medtrade
ATLANTA - Officials at AMEPA hope a new Patient Advocacy Line (PAL) will ultimately be a first-choice toll-free way for patients and caregivers to speak to legislators. more »

Opportunities for Giving at Wheels for the World
ATLANTA - Mobility providers looking for charitable opportunities may wish to donate used and/or broken wheelchairs to the Joni and Friends, Wheels for the World Program. more »

Final Rule Cements DME Definition
- Greg Thompson
WASHINGTON, DC - CMS declared last week that the “durable” in durable medical equipment adds up to 3 years of usability. "Does this mean that items with a life expectancy of less than 2 years may be dispensed by a physician...?" more »

Another Step Forward
- Don Clayback
WASHINGTON, DC - The pursuit of a separate benefit category (SBC) for complex rehab technology (CRT) under the Medicare program got a big boost last week. more »