AAHomecare Makes Strides for Competitive Bid Legislation

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 28, 2016)—With both the House and Senate in session and just over two months left before a second round of deep cuts for rural and non-bid areas is set to take effect, AAHomecare staff and senior government relations representatives from AAHomecare members VGM, Apria, Invacare and Pride Mobility have been busy working the halls of Congress, meeting with or attending events with these key legislators since last Thursday:

• Senate: Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Thad Cochran (R-Miss.)
• House: Kevin Brady (R-Tex.), Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.), Adrian Smith (R-Neb.), Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Gene Green (D-Tex.), Chris Collins (R-N.Y.), Pat Tiberi (R-Ohio) and Bill Johnson (R-Ohio).

Tom Ryan and Jay Witter from AAHomecare were joined by John Gallagher, vice president of government relations for VGM, Bill Guidetti, executive vice president, East Zone for Apria Healthcare, Cara Bachenheimer, senior vice president of government relations for Invacare Corp., and Seth Johnson, vice president of government affairs for Pride Mobility, for a whirlwind of meetings focused on building support for S. 2736, the Patient Access to Durable Medical Equipment Act of 2016 and for expected House companion legislation.

Help amplify the work being done in D.C. by contacting your legislators and ask that they support legislation that will allow for careful assessment of how the first round of cuts are affecting seniors and people with disabilities or chronic conditions before further reductions are made. Personal contact with your legislators’ offices is the most effective way to make your case; you can find contact information in our congressional directory. You can also quickly send a message to your legislators here.

Want to take your concerns directly to your legislators?  See how you can support our DC-based lobbying efforts and help make the case for better HME public policy at next month’s Washington Legislative Conference.

Visit aahomecare.org for more information.