Let’s Make a Difference
- Kim Brummett
WASHINGTON, DC - I know in my heart of hearts that we make a difference every day to our patients, and we are needed. more »

Brummett Joins AAHomecare in Regulatory Affairs Role
WASHINGTON, DC - Kim Brummett has joined the American Association for Homecare as its new senior director of regulatory affairs. more »

Medicare Beneficiary Complaint Hotline Goes Live Tomorrow
WATERLOO, IA - AAHomecare and People for Quality Care (PFQC), the advocacy division of the VGM Group, are partnering to offer the Beneficiary Complaint Hotline, an 800 number dedicated to Medicare beneficiaries with complaints about their access to HME and service. more »

CMS Dampens Delay Fervor
- Greg Thompson
WASHINGTON, DC – Seemingly moments after CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner (pictured) received a letter signed by 227 members of the House calling for a delay of competitive bidding’s round two, the agency went on record saying, “We have no plans for a delay.” more »

Medtrade Orlando: The Place to Find Solutions
- Kevin Gaffney, CEM
ORLANDO, FL - Whatever ends up happening, Medtrade Orlando will be the place to regroup, reinvigorate, and acquire the knowledge and product ideas you need to survive. more »

Small Business Owners and Advocates Speak Out
SEATTLE - A Regulatory Fairness Hearing hosted by the U.S. Small Business Administration provided an opportunity for advocates and HME suppliers to sound off about the costly effects of Medicare’s competitive bidding program. more »

Time for a Timeout?
- Greg Thompson
WASHINGTON, DC – At press time, the number of Congressional sign-ons to the “Dear Colleague” had hit 164, with industry sources saying the number would likely climb to the mid 170s. more »

Medtrade: DeVilbiss Crafts Back-to-the-USA Message for Nation’s Largest HME Event
SOMERSET, PA - When DeVilbiss Healthcare makes its annual trek to Medtrade, scheduled for Oct 8-10 in Orlando, Fla, it will be able to tell attendees that all of its products are made in the United States. more »

Free Lobbying Webinar Set for June 14
WASHINGTON, DC - In just one hour (2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on June 14), the government affairs team at AAHomecare will teach providers how to reach out to members of Congress. more »

Extension for “Dear Colleague”
- Greg Thompson
WASHINGTON, DC – There are still four more days (deadline is June 7) to add signatures to the “Dear Colleague” letter started more than two weeks ago. more »

Unified Message in DC
WASHINGTON, DC - Attendees at last week’s AAHomecare Legislative Conference in the Nation’s Capital stressed the need to delay round two of competitive bidding. more »

Support Emerges for Delivery of Diabetes Supplies to Homebound Seniors
ALEXANDRIA, VA - More than 40 Members of Congress are questioning Medicare's decision to prohibit independent community pharmacies from providing same-day home delivery of diabetes testing supplies. more »

Advocates Emphasize Tennessee Licensure Concerns
NASHVILLE, TN - AAHomecare is not letting up on CMS, saying new evidence shows that the national competitive bidding program is not being run according to the rules set by CMS. more »

Defeat is Not an Option
- Michael Hamilton
WASHINGTON, DC - As attendees visited Congressional offices, we discovered that no one had anything nice to say about CMS. Most were appalled at the apparent “cooked books” that produced unbelievable results. more »

Blackburn and Bolt Recognized for Advocacy

WASHINGTON, DC - Georgie Blackburn of BLACKBURN’S, Tarentum, Pa, and Jackie Bolt of Carolina Homecare Medical Equipment Center, Greenville, SC, will receive this year’s AAHomecare Legislative Advocate Awards. 

 more »

“Cautiously Optimistic” About Delay
WASHINGTON, DC - With the AAHomecare Washington Legislative Conference just two days away, a Congressional “dear colleague” letter is urging a delay of round two of competitive bidding. more »

Did CMS Break Rules to Rig Bid Numbers?
- John Shirvinsky
HARRISBURG, PA - If you’re not mad yet, try this on for size; It now appears likely that CMS not only broke the rules of auction design, they also broke their own published bid rules. more »

We Have a Real Chance
- Robert Steedley
VALDOSTA, GA - Surprisingly, registration is down for the upcoming AAHomecare Washington Legislative Conference...but my plea to everyone reading this is to stay engaged. more »

New Season of HME Voice Starts May 16 at 3:00 PM
ATLANTA - Listeners got a taste of HME Voice (season one) late last year, and the VOICE of the industry is back for season two this month, powered by Medtrade Radio and sponsored by Emerge. more »

Concern and Hope Fuel PAMS Conference
HARRISBURG, PA - The Pennsylvania Association of Medical Suppliers (PAMS) wrapped up its annual conference last week with most attendees “concerned for their survival.” more »

NCPA Endorses Bill to Address Egregious Pharmacy Audit Tactics in Medicare
ALEXANDRIA, VA - Pharmacists feeling the pain of audits and reimbursement challenges welcomed bipartisan legislation last week. more »

“This is the Defining Moment”
WASHINGTON, DC - With nine days to go before the May 22-23 AAHomecare Washington Legislative Conference, Jay Witter is not mincing words. more »

The Insane are Running the Asylum
- Jeffrey S. Baird, JD
AMARILLO, TX - For the first 12 years of my life, I grew up in a state mental hospital. My father was the hospital's psychologist, and our family lived in a small home on the hospital property. more »

Blue Ribbon Task Force: Outlining a Path to Success
ORLANDO, FL – Now in its third year, the Medtrade Blue Ribbon Task Force is used to planning in the face of uncertainty. With an eye toward optimism and opportunity, the 15-person group met last week in Orlando, Fla. more »

Sixteen Days and Counting
WASHINGTON, DC - This year’s AAHomecare Washington Legislative Conference, from May 22-23, will be the “best chance” to make a case for fixing or delaying round two of competitive bidding. more »

The Industry Needs You
- Wayne E. Stanfield
WASHINGTON, DC - We must make a powerful showing in Washington, DC, for the AAHomecare Washington Legislative Conference, May 22-23. more »

AAHomecare and NAIMES Join Forces
WASHINGTON, DC - The HME industry took another move toward unity last week with the merger of AAHomecare and NAIMES. more »

MPP Bill: “Nice Shot in the Arm”
WASHINGTON, DC - The long-awaited bill that could halt round two of competitive bidding and replace it with the industry-favored market pricing program (MPP) is a reality. more »

UsersFirst Goes to Washington, D.C.
- Ann Eubank
WASHINGTON, DC - When the insurance company says “we don’t pay for wheelchairs that you might use outside”—now it’s personal. more »

Tennessee Licensure Requirements Serve Up Additional Competitive Bidding Complications
NASHVILLE, TN - An analysis by AAHomecare board member Rob Brant reveals that the contracts are in conflict with Tennessee licensure requirements. more »

New CB Bill Expected Soon
ATLANTA – Medtrade officials met with Rep Tom Price (R-Ga) last week to push the industry case for replacing competitive bidding with the market pricing program (MPP). more »

Now is No Time for Despair
- Jay Witter
WASHINGTON, DC - We have built considerable support on Capitol Hill for the market pricing program. more »

NACDS, NCPA Oppose Medicaid Reimbursement Cuts in Obama Budget Proposal
ALEXANDRIA, VA - Congress and the President made their budget proposals available last week, starting the process of hammering out a final draft. more »

Contract Announcements Spark Ire
- Greg Thompson
FARMINGDALE, NY - On Long Island, Kelly Brussell reports that a significant number of winning bidders are more than 100 miles outside the competitive bidding area (CBA). more »

AAHomecare Eyes May 22-23
WASHINGTON, DC - Advocates stop short of calling it a “last stand,” but this year’s AAHomecare Washington Legislative Conference, from May 22-23, will be the “best chance.” more »

Medtrade Spring Motivation is Just What We Needed
- Mike Sperduti
HUNTINGTON, NY - If you were at Medtrade Spring, you felt a winning attitude. You felt energy and vibe. more »

Medicare Addresses Pharmacy Audits in Part D Prescription Drug Plans
ALEXANDRIA, VA - NCPA CEO echoed the HME industry in chastising CMS for its over zealous auditing practices. more »

Montana Providers Challenge Senators
BOZEMAN, MT - The home care provider who looked Senator Max Baucus (D-Mont) in the eye more than a month ago did it again at the Bozeman Senior Center last week. more »

Medtrade Spring: “The Hall Was Filled With People”
- Shelly Prial
MELBOURNE, FL - The difference from previous Medtrade exhibitions was that everyone attending came to learn and find new over the counter opportunities. more »

Kentucky Governor Signs Pharmacy Transparency Legislation into Law
FRANKFURT, KY - Kentucky has become the first state to enact legislation that provides pharmacists with transparency into how health plans determine pharmacy reimbursements for generic drugs. more »

Price and Ellmers Fire Back
WASHINGTON, DC – The USA Today editorial that infuriated industry advocates last month got a forceful rebuttal from Rep Tom Price (R-Ga) and Rep Renée Ellmers (R-NC). more »

AAHomecare Will Part Ways with Tyler Wilson and Look for New President and CEO
WASHINGTON, D.C. – AAHomecare’s Executive Committee has decided not to renew Tyler Wilson’s contract, effectively ending the AAHomecare president and CEO’s 6-year tenure. more »

Medtrade Spring: Advocates Preach Realism, Optimism, and Activism
- Greg Thompson
LAS VEGAS - “Things do look bleak,” said Joel Marx, chairman of AAHomecare. “But there is hope." more »

Your Success is Our Success
- Kevin Gaffney, CEM
LAS VEGAS - As the Medtrade group show director, I have a sizable pile of feedback forms to read, review, and ponder in an effort to make improvements. more »

View from the Golden State
- Allen Kennedy
BAKERSFIELD, CA - The unrealistic cuts of 45% go beyond the profits of even large national firms. To make things worse, in the second round of bidding only 867 companies have been offered 14,654 contracts nationally. more »

Online Petition to Replace Competitive Bidding Launches TODAY at www.SavePatientAccess.com
WASHINGTON, DC - An online petition residing at the White House’s official Web site went live today (Monday, March 18). The race is on to get 100,000 signatures in 30 days, a tally that signals an official response from President Obama. more »

Well Attended Congressional Briefing Yields Optimism
WASHINGTON, DC – After another visit to the nation’s capitol, John Shirvinsky is hopeful that the “evidence against CMS’ competitive bid design is reaching critical mass. more »

NCPA Endorses Legislation To Expand MTM Programs
ALEXANDRIA, VA - The NCPA has publicly expressed its backing of new bipartisan legislation to boost Medication Therapy Management (MTM). more »

CRT Bill Reintroduced by Crowley and Sensenbrenner
WASHINGTON, DC - The complex rehab technology (CRT) separate benefit bill is back in play thanks to Rep Joe Crowley (D-NY) and Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis). more »

It’s About to Get Worse for Medicare Beneficiaries
- Tyler Wilson
WASHINGTON, DC - Demonstrating a shocking naiveté about the impact on the DME market place and on Medicare beneficiaries, CMS trumpets the cost savings attributed to its bidding process. more »