MILWAUKEE (June 17, 2016)—Cindy Ciardo, CEO of Knueppel HealthCare Services, Inc. (KHS) recently collaborated with a delegation of Wisconsin medical equipment providers to lobby every Wisconsin legislator in D.C. to gain support for crucial legislation for the home health industry.
As a member of the Wisconsin Association of Medical Equipment Services (WAMES), Ciardo and her colleagues advocated for the delay of additional cuts from the National Competitive Bidding Program through Senate bill S. 2736 and House bill H.R. 5210; the companion bills seek to delay the problematic expansion of the competitive bidding program which will significantly hurt medical equipment access for seniors and people with disabilities.
Amidst a flurry of emails and phone calls made from co-workers in Wisconsin, the delegation, a part of the AAHomecare Washington Legislative Conference, stormed the Hill, building on years of communication with legislators and their staffs. “Even though they knew who we were and they knew what we wanted—which is a testament to the grass roots nature of our campaign—we were able to educate them on the specific and urgent challenges the competitive bidding program creates,” said Ciardo.
The flawed program’s proposed additional cuts are set to take effect on July 1st, only adding to the immediacy of the fight for the industry and for patient access to important medical products.
WAMES is asking for everyone who is a senior or has a family member with a disability to send an email and call their legislators. Ciardo added, “If you use Medicare, or know someone who does, you will want to make your voice heard…as a stakeholder in this issue, your voice can influence the success of this legislation.”
For more information, visit knueppels.com.
