WASHINGTON—The American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) and VGM are partnering on a new virtual advocacy event to bolster awareness and support for active Medicare reimbursement legislation as Congress enters final legislative weeks of the year. The Virtual Hill Day, set for Nov. 13, will reinforce the virtual advocacy effort from just a few weeks ago with a focus on reaching targeted members on committees of jurisdiction for federal healthcare finance issues.
AAHomecare and VGM are in the process of developing a list of approximately 100 House and Senate offices to reach for this more tightly targeted virtual Hill day and are reaching out to HME advocates represented by these legislators to take the meetings, AAHomecare said in a release.
“We’re at a critical juncture for what Medicare rates are going to look like in 2024, as well as for numerous payers those rates influence,” said Tom Ryan, AAHomecare president and CEO. “We have the prospect of 75/25 rates in non-CBAs coming to an end on January 1, and we have active legislation in both chambers for Congress to keep that relief in place, and even to add 90/10 blended relief for CBAs in the House bill. With those kinds of stakes, we feel the urgency to make one more concerted push to get provisions from HR 5555 and S 1294 into an end-of-year legislative package."
“We appreciate VGM stepping up to share the cost on the event and to help us in the targeting and recruitment process,” added Ryan. “Their participation allows us to make this a free-of-charge event for our advocates and will also be critical in helping us to identify and invite constituents for the meetings. We couldn’t ask for a more committed and effective partner in advocacy than the VGM team.”
“It is imperative that the industry comes together to act on these pieces of legislation," said Michael Isaacson, VGM senior vice president of government & regulatory relations. "VGM and AAHomecare continue to work together to ensure that our collective members’ voices are heard, and we are excited to be partners on this important event."
"This Virtual Hill Day is another opportunity for our members to unify their voices so that our elected officials understand the valuable service they provide to individuals and to their communities," continued Isaacson. "We look to the industry to stand up and be Champions of Change.”
The virtual meetings will take place over the course of the day on Monday, Nov. 13, and will again utilize the Advocacy Associates platform used in AAHomecare’s three previous virtual legislative events. AAHomecare and VGM are currently reaching out to selected advocates that match with the targeted offices as well as state and regional HME association leaders to recruit participants.
If you have previous advocacy experience and live/work in a state with a member of the Senate Finance Committee, or a district represented by a member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee or Ways & Means Committee, and are available for meetings on Nov. 13, please contact Gordon Barnes at gordonb@aahomecare.org for more details.
