Hobson-Tanner Bill Tops 100 Co-Sponsors

WASHINGTON–The Hobson-Tanner Bill is now up to 101 co-sponsors
in the House of Representatives, enough to introduce a Senate
companion bill, observers say.

The bill, officially known as H.R. 3559, was introduced in the
House last summer in an effort to soften the blow of DME
competitive bidding (see HomeCare
Monday, Aug. 1, 2005).

“Our goal is to ensure that the Hobson-Tanner Bill becomes law
because it is in the best interest of all HME, mobility and rehab
providers,” said Scott Meuser, CEO of Pride Mobility Products,
Exeter, Pa. In conjunction with the American Association for
Homecare and state associations, the company has conducted more
than 225 meetings in 35 states to educate legislators on the
measure, the manufacturer said.

But Washington insiders say topping the 100 co-sponsor mark and
getting a companion bill in the Senate is only half the battle–at
least 200 co-sponsors in the House will be needed to get the
proposed legislation passed.

The text of H.R. 3559 is available at http://thomas.loc.gov.

To find out whether your state’s representatives have signed on,
visit www.aahomecare.org
for a list of current co-sponsors.