Industry Weighs In on Health Reform as Daschle Hearings Begin

WASHINGTON — The Senate Health, Education, Labor and
Pensions Committee held the first confirmation hearing Thursday for
former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., nominated as the
new secretary of HHS.

According to press reports, during the hearing Daschle discussed
the urgent need to reform health care, the growing problem of the
uninsured and the need for collaboration between the incoming
administration and Congress in reshaping the health care
system.

On a quest for fresh ideas, President-elect Obama called for
Americans’ help in reforming the system by hosting community
discussions. Daschle attended an Indiana meeting, reported in the Washington Post, where
he listened to stories, concerns and recommendations from the
public.

Although in last week’s hearing Daschle didn’t get into specific
plans for Medicare, Medicaid or SCHIP, the massive government
health programs on which much of this industry depends, several HME
organizations want to be sure both he and Obama’s staff understand
the industry’s role and its views through community meetings of
their own.

Moderated by Medtrade Director Kevin Gaffney and American Association
for Homecare President Tyler Wilson, a Dec. 22 meeting held at
Medtrade’s Alpharetta, Ga., headquarters drew attendees from
GF Health
Products, Hometown Home Health, Merits Health
Products, DME Inc., Fuller Rehab,
Owen
Mumford and the Georgia Department of Economic Development, among
others.

In discussing how the new administration should address the HME
industry’s particular needs, meeting attendees said they felt the
value of home medical care is underestimated by the current health
care system. Home care is less expensive than inpatient care, and
there is a strong patient/family preference for care at home, they
pointed out. “Home care is not ancillary to health care but should
be integral,” according to a summary of the meeting, which was
forwarded to Obama’s transition team.

Collectively, attendees stated “that patient care is why they
are in this business, and that their willingness to negotiate,
accept reimbursement cuts and trim operating costs in the face of
industry regulation speaks well of the group,” the summary said.
Most also reported, however, their fears of being eliminated from
the health care marketplace by competitive bidding.

The National
Association of Independent Medical Equipment Suppliers also
held a health care reform town hall meeting on Dec. 22 that
included providers, hospital staff and consumers. According to this
group, key issues that need to be part of a reform plan include
improving primary care access; reducing health insurance costs,
waste, fraud and abuse; moving toward integrated electronic health
records; and, among other things, banning direct-to-consumer
pharmaceutical advertising.

Providers attending the meeting also said they were concerned
about the oxygen cap and how they will be able to survive. “None
had any illusions about the problems and all felt that this is a
crisis that CMS and Congress has yet to realize or understand,” a
NAIMES meeting summary said, adding that attendees were in
agreement “that CMS and most members of Congress” are out of touch
with Medicare issues.

“Congress and CMS do not understand that the equipment is the
unimportant part of ‘home care,’” the summary reported. “It is the
‘care’ that not only costs the most but is what suppliers provide
that sets them apart from other sources of equipment for
consumers.”

Comments from its meeting will also be sent to the Obama
transition team, NAIMES said.

A community health care discussion hosted by VGM, which was postponed
twice due to weather, is rescheduled today in Waterloo, Iowa.