GIVE ME AN “H,” give me an “O,” give me an “M,” give me an “E.” Give me a “CARE.” What does it spell? I'll admit, I was never a cheerleader. In fact, I am the person stumbling around at the back of the aerobics class.

Despite my lack of coordination, I still have spirit. Spirit in the form of enthusiasm for, commitment to and personal pride in the home care industry. Spirit in the sense of a positive outlook on the industry's future as we face a daunting number of issues that could change the way we do business. Spirit that is shared by all members of the HomeCare team. Spirit in our 25-year legacy.

With Medicare reform legislation moving rapidly through Washington and the threat of national competitive bidding on the horizon, many providers are beginning to face the threat before us. Many of you may ask yourselves, “What can I do?”

Now is the time to join your state association if you have not already. Reach out to our unified voice in Washington, the American Association for Homecare. Learn the issues and be able to speak articulately about how these issues are going to impact the lives of millions of Americans.

Contact your congressmen and request that they oppose national competitive bidding for durable medical equipment. If you do not know who your congressional contacts are, log on to the AAHomecare web site, www.aahomecare.org, and search by your ZIP code. Contact information and e-mail links for your government representatives are provided with each search. AAHomecare, with the help of The Med Group's Capital Connection, also provides sample letters to send or use as a script when calling a congressman's office.

Competitive bidding will restrict beneficiary access and choice. It will eliminate free-market competition that establishes and ensures quality of service. A consumer's ability to choose a home care provider ensures quality and continuity of care by allowing a beneficiary to establish a long-standing relationship with his or her provider. This critical relationship could be lost if competitive bidding is implemented nationwide. A national competitive bidding program would require a new bureaucracy to administer it, and CMS is already overwhelmed by existing structural and oversight limitations. Put bluntly, competitive bidding will cause irreparable harm to home care businesses throughout the nation.

I may not have made the cheerleading squad back in high school, but I can promise you that the HomeCare team is rooting for the home care industry.

We will help you sort through the information that matters and that could impact the future of your business. We will continue to bring you the in-depth analysis that we have provided for the past 25 years. We will continue to make sense of it all for you.

Go team!