Advocacy Group To Sponsor Congressional Marathon

Waterloo, Iowa

Last Chance for Patient Choice will sponsor a series of congressional visits beginning later this month.

The organization is working with state associations and independent providers to set up the Meet and Greet Congressional Marathon, July 28 through Aug. 7, and is encouraging participants to bring Medicare beneficiaries with them.

“Last Chance believes that if representatives and senators truly understand the devastating effects the oxygen cap and selective contracting, a.k.a. competitive bidding, will have on patients, they will be shocked, and head back to Capitol Hill to make things right,” said John Gallagher, vice president of Last Chance.

Last Chance was formed by The VGM Group to fight competitive bidding and other legislation that affects the HME industry. The organization’s goals for the marathon, according to Gallagher, include:

• introducing elected officials to real users of HME;
• educating elected officials about HME;
• gaining additional support for H.R. 3559, which would soften the blow of Medicare DME competitive bidding, and a Senate companion bill;
• gathering support for H.R. 5513, which would remove the oxygen capped rental provision from the Deficit Reduction Act; and
• raising support for Last Chance’s Oxygen Patients’ Bill of Rights.

For more information, call 800/642-6065 or visit www.lastchanceforpatients.org.