ORLANDO, Fla. (Oct. 9, 2013)—Attendees packed the AAHomecare Legislative Update at the Orange County Convention Center to kick off day one of Medtrade in Orlando, Fla. On Tuesday, Oct 8. With new leadership and renewed resolve, AAHomecare leaders talked about the challenges ahead.
“In the end, we are going to win,” said Robert Steedley, chairman, AAHomecare. “We have the right team to get the work done. We are fighting as hard as ever, and we are making the right contacts and the right moves.”
Stressing the urgent need for increased AAHomecare membership, Tom Ryan made his first appearance as the Association’s new president and CEO. “AAHomecare has your back,” said Ryan, a successful DME provider for three decades. “I have your back.”
Adding new cosponsors to H.R. 1717, the bill to replace competitive bidding with the market pricing program, is a priority for the association. However, a multitude of regulatory issues are also on the docket.
Kim Brummett, senior director of regulatory affairs, cited several areas for reform in the audit arena. “Currently, all contractors, except for RACs, do not have any penalties for audit results that are overturned,” said Brummett. “We would like to see contractor reform that includes accountability to results. If we could work with the MACs to minimize denials, we could assist providers by taking costs out of their daily work.”
Jay Witter, vice president of government affairs, conceded that the recent 47-percent Medicare reimbursement hit was drastic, and encouraged providers to fight back by documenting patient complaints with renewed vigor. “When CMS says 33 [Medicare beneficiary complaints], we can come back and say, ‘No. People for Quality Care [http://peopleforqualitycare.com/] have documented more than 2,000 patient stories,’ ” said Witter. “We know there are 10 times that many stories, and that is what is going to turn the tide.”
Providers and patients are encouraged to send anecdotes to cbround2problems@aahomecare.org.
“Unfortunately, when we rely on entitlement programs, what goes on in Washington, D.C., is very important,” added Ryan. “We are trying to move the chains, but we can’t do it alone. We need you. You are key. The only way we can move any agenda is if you go out there and work your congressional members and tell your stories.” Visit aahomecare.com for more information.
