—Via AAHomecare, WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 14, 2017)—AAHomecare received word Monday that the Congressional sign-on letter on HME priority issues “closed” with commitments from 153 members of the House of Representatives. Per the usual procedure with these sign-on letters, Hill staffers are now taking the letter to each of these offices to get an actual signature on the letter.
This strong endorsement from Capitol Hill comes at a particularly important juncture as HHS and CMS consider requests from AAHomecare and other HME stakeholder groups for action on reforms for the bidding program, as well as reimbursement rate relief for rural providers, reining in recent additional cuts for stationary oxygen in rural areas, and preventing cuts for CRT accessories.
While a great deal of credit goes to Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa) and Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) for spearheading this effort, the persistent follow-up work by AAHomecare members and the rest of the HME community has made the difference.
The commitment of hundreds of individuals who either made the case for our issues at last month’s Washington Legislative Conference, or who followed up with their representatives to get a commitment to sign onto the letter is why our champions will be able to send a letter to HHS and CMS with more than one-third of the House on board. This is an exceptional showing, and it’s the result of an exceptional effort from all quarters of the HME sector.
Don’t forget to say thanks through your communication channels, including social media. When the final list of signatories is released, make sure to thank members of Congress who signed on directly.
Editor's Note: On June 15, 2017, AAHomecare shared the final copy of the letter with signatures and the full list of Congressional signees.
