AAHomecare Parts Company with CQRC

ARLINGTON, Va. — The American Association for HomeCare has
pulled away from the Council for Quality Respiratory Care, saying
it “believes that it can serve the broad community of oxygen
providers equally as well without having any direct involvement in
the group.”

AAHomecare was never a dues-paying member of CQRC, which is a
coalition of organizations related to respiratory care, including
giants in the home oxygen provider field such as Lincare. However,
it did send representatives to meetings and it had worked with the
organization this year to craft what turned out to be a
controversial oxygen reform policy that essentially divided the
provider community.

Providers and state and regional associations took issue with
the policy on several counts, with many charging the plan favored
the large national providers.

The outcry was so intense, with several providers and
associations even drafting their own plans, that AAHomecare
convened a group of oxygen providers and manufacturers to redraft
the policy. The result was H.R. 3220, which was introduced July 15
by Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark. The bill is currently dormant.

AAHomecare’s move brought kudos from some in the industry.

“This was a tough year for the industry on the oxygen issue,”
said John Shirvinsky, executive director of the Pennsylvania
Association of Medical Suppliers. “I think it is a positive thing.
It became a distraction.”

AAHomecare’s association with CQRC, Shirvinsky said, “sent a
signal to some folks that AAHomecare was putting the interests of
larger members ahead of small members. I know that wasn’t the
intention, but that was the impression and that perception took
hold.”

In the announcement of its disassociation with CQRC, AAHomecare
said it would “continue its approach of working with all home
care-related coalitions and organizations to find solutions that
are widely embraced.”

The association called for all providers and manufacturers, no
matter what size or philosophy, to find middle ground on Medicare
matters.

“All home care companies must recognize that the entire HME
sector is being challenged in the current Medicare policy
environment. Providers of every stripe will benefit if the HME
community can work together to achieve better Medicare policies,”
the announcement said.

“We strive to work closely with every firm in the HME sector,
from the smallest to the largest,” said AAHomecare President and
CEO Tyler Wilson. “Greater cooperation among all HME companies and
stakeholders is essential to preserving a healthy, robust home care
sector.”

Wilson continued: “AAHomecare has the greatest diversity of
members and that is our strength on Capitol Hill. We can accurately
say we represent the entire home care community and that we are
advocating on behalf of our broad membership in support of
solutions that will help all home care companies and their
patients.”

The association is made up of both small and large providers,
but 82 percent of its members have annual revenues falling below $5
million, officials said.