A Golden Age for AAHomecare Membership?

WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 30, 2015)—The “golden commode” era is part of HME’s distant past, but leadership in the American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) may well be entering a golden age. Call it a critical mass of knowledge, experience, and the right mix of optimism and realism.

The “golden age” sentiment can be heard from grizzled veterans who have seen their share of challenges. These long-time AAHomecare members have occasionally disagreed with the national organization’s strategy, but now find themselves fighting with their hearts and minds.

Jackie Semrad, corporate compliance officer at Minnesota-based Reliable Medical Supply, made her first Capitol Hill visit a dozen years ago. A few years later, in 2007, she made her trip as part of the annual AAHomecare Legislative Conference.

Since that initial trip, membership benefits of AAHomecare have occasionally ebbed and flowed, but not any more. “It is a new AAHomecare,” says Semrad. “Tom Ryan is totally engaged, as are his staff members. Not being a member of AAHomecare, particularly at this time, is just foolish.”

Paying dues every year undoubtedly helps the industry, while also keeping Semrad informed in the form of letters, e-mails, and webinars. “If you go onto their web site, it’s so easy for our employees to send letters or emails to Congressional members,” she says.

“AAHomecare is the eyes and ears of what’s happening in Washington. I can’t understand why people wouldn’t be members, especially with everything happening with audits, competitive bidding, and complex rehab issues.”

So-called “AAHomecare lifers,” such as Steve Ackerman, CEO of Spectrum Medical, Silver Spring, Md, acknowledge that so many issues can occasionally overwhelm prospective members. Ackerman started in 1985 when AAHomecare had a different name. At the time, the membership gesture came when he was building a company and had little time to invest.

These days, he can leave his 7,000-sq-ft location enough to serve as AAHomecare’s vice chairman for the Board of Directors. Ackerman was treasurer for the previous two years, and prior to that he took a membership with a different organization (that has since merged with AAHomecare).

As an attendee at several legislative conferences, Ackerman’s 2015 experience proved a bit different since he was meeting with Don Beyer (D-Va.), a newly elected Congressman. Ackerman describes Beyer as a “dyed-in-the-wool” Democrat, a fact that he says can occasionally make headway difficult on HME issues.

“However, I got a sense from Rep. Beyer that the fact that they [government] are stewards of the system that there is a responsibility that the system be administered fairly,” says Ackerman. “We could certainly get him to react to things we think are being egregiously interpreted by CMS. I’m also a big proponent of the fact that a lot of the stuff we need to do has to be done conversationally with CMS, and we need to try to stay out of the legislative realm to solve small issues.”

Leadership differences that motivated Ackerman to take a break from AAHomecare a few years ago are no longer a problem, and that’s largely due to Tom Ryan. “There’s a new and very good climate at AAHomecare with Tom Ryan and his leadership,” he says.

“Now we’ve got a guy leading our group who is a home care dealer and understands what it’s like to do the job. He can speak very passionately and articulately about the strengths and weaknesses of the system. One of the reasons I’m there, and volunteering my time in a leadership role, is because of my confidence in Tom’s vision.”

Kam Yuricich, executive director of the Ohio Association of Medical Equipment Services (OAMES) and the Great Lakes Home Medical Services Association, has interacted with the national association since 1986. As a PR rep, she helped with publicity—ultimately discovering a passion for HME that led to deep involvement with OAMES and now Great Lakes.

State association members are not required to join AAHomecare, but they are strongly encouraged. “AAHomecare is definitely our partner in advocacy work,” says Yuricich.

“They lead the charge on our national agenda, and with Congress and federal agencies. We like to be the grassroots team behind AAHomecare to advance our national issues.”

Since Ohio cities were involved with round one of competitive bidding, Yuricich routinely describes the Buckeye state as ground zero for the reviled program. Working with leaders in Pennsylvania and the Midwest did not ultimately stop competitive bidding, but Yuricich has stayed optimistic, thanks in part to AAHomecare’s strategy of honing in on the inherent flaws of the program.

Meetings with representatives (including Speaker of the House John Boehner) are a testament to Ohio’s enthusiasm among its members. “We have had such tremendous growth in members attending the AAHomecare Legislative Conference over the years,” enthuses Yuricich. “At one point, we drew almost 30 people from Ohio.”

AAHomecare is indeed bigger than any one person, and Yuricich admits that any retrospective of her work with the organization must include the ups, downs, and occasional disagreements. These days, she counts herself a huge fan of the leadership. “I have the opportunity to work closely with the AAHomecare team in my role as chair of the State Leaders Council, which also gives me a seat on the Executive Committee,” she says. “I speak so highly of Tom Ryan—his passion and his savvy, combined with his determination and focus—all of that makes him what he is.”

Like all his predecessors, Tom Ryan relies on AAHomecare members to nurture relationships with members of Congress and push the national agenda. Joey Tart, president/founder of Family Medical Supply, Dunn, NC, has done just that with Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.) as Ellmers has tried to advance audit legislation on behalf of the industry.

The 56-year-old Tart has been a member of AAHomecare since the mid 1990s, but his best Hill visit took place this spring. Along with state association people (plus John Gallagher [VGM] and Jay Witter [AAHomecare]), Ellmers’ aide asked a member of the House Ways and Means Committee to join their meeting.

“We were having a problem with one of our requests for clinical inference in the audit bill,” explains Tart. “She [Ellmers’ aide] invited the staffer from Ways and Means to come to our meeting. That was a big deal. We don’t usually get folks reaching out with that kind of effort. I’ve been to Washington many times, and I have never had a legislator show me that kind of effort.”

Ellmers introduced audit legislation on behalf of the industry last year, and Tart believes the odds “are good” for a reintroduction in 2015. The cumulative efforts could well produce results down the line, and Tart is quick to tell those pondering membership that they too can use their influence and expertise in the realm of advocacy.

“There is a small percentage of us [HME providers] who are members of AAHomecare,” he muses. “You need to be doing something, because it’s better than doing nothing. You need to be active and supporting folks who can help you. We’ve all had periods in our lives when we’ve just been doing the same thing over and over, and that doesn’t usually change anything. You have to be involved with your legislators.”

Judith A. Bunn, compliance manager at Medical Service Company, Oakwood Village, Ohio, has been with her company for five years, and in the industry for decades. Over the last half decade, she has become convinced that fence sitters for AAHomecare membership can, and should, commit to paying dues.

“The AAHomecare of 2015 is much different than the AAHomecare of 2010,” contends Bunn. “They have a stronger presence on Capitol Hill, and a stronger presence with CMS.”

“Lines of communication have opened up that have never been available to us before, primarily because of the staff at AAHomecare and their work. Their persistence and professionalism have allowed CMS and other government agencies, such as the OIG, to open up to us, seek our input, opinion, and allow us avenues to ask for corrective assistance.”

Not every AAHomecare membership journey progresses to Hill visits and activism. Some providers pay much-needed dues as a way to support staff in their efforts—and then there is Robert Steedley. Despite being in the industry as president of Barnes Healthcare for about two decades, Steedley was not active in AAHomecare.

In 2008, he got a call from Joel Marx, former chairman of AAHomecare. Shortly after that, Steedley commenced a deep involvement with the association that would include two terms as chairman. “At that point, we were paying member dues, but we were outside the loop and disengaged,” remembers Steedley.

“I remember being moved by what they were trying to get done, not only legislatively but from a regulatory standpoint, and felt a responsibility to get involved.”

Learn more about the types and benefits of membership, as well as pricing, at AAHomecare.org/membership.