Monday, June 30, 2014
(June 25, 2014)—Tom Ryan, AAHomecare CEO, testified before the Small Business Administration on the impacts of the Medicare competitive bidding program on the HME industry. Along with eight other speakers, Ryan spoke about the disastrous effects this program has had on hundreds of businesses across the country, as well as patients who are now unable to receive the medical supplies they need.
With the recent introduction of the Medicare DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Improvement Act of 2014, H.R. 4920, the timing was ideal for pointing out the strides being taken to implement a simple fix that will make a huge difference in the long-term stability of the program, as well as allowing many businesses to stay operational.
The Small Business Administration heard testimonies from Danyelle Carroll of Mobility Medical in Mississippi; Bill Griffin of Griffin Home Health in North Carolina; Gary Sheehan of Cape Medical Supply in New England; Jeff Knight of Premier Home Care in Kentucky; Kristi Sanders of Northern Pharmacy and Medical Equipment in Maryland; Regina Gillespie or Best Home Medical in West Virginia; Tyler Riddle of MRS Homecare Inc. in Georgia; and VGM’s Peggy Walker. Many of the speakers, including Ryan, were small business owners facing significant loss of revenue due to lost bids.
“My company had a very difficult, but unfortunately not unique, experience with the Medicare bid process,” he explained during his testimony.
“Tom testifying presents the unique opportunity to share this concern not only from an industry advocate standpoint, but also as a business owner who has been through this experience and knows firsthand the effects it can have on small businesses,” said Jay Witter, AAHomecare senior vice president of public policy.
In closing, Ryan encouraged the Small Business Administration to help small businesses by supporting H.R. 4920, which AAHomecare members see as the best way to fix one of the biggest issues with the Medicare bidding program. Visit aahomecare.org.
