Uniting the Industry

There are plenty of four-letter words around that mean many things to different people, but “unity” is an extremely powerful five-letter word that summons up one basic thought: “being together as one.” The dictionary defines unity as: 1) the state or quality of being one; singleness; 2) the state or quality of being in accord; harmony; 3) the combination or arrangement of parts into a whole; unification, and; 4) singleness or constancy of purpose or action; continuity.

The DME industry took one rather large leap of “unification” last month with the merger of NAIMES and AAHomecare. While divided by name and leadership, these two organizations still met one of the definitions above, that of being in accord. AAHomecare and NAIMES were both fighting to support and protect their members, and their members were all part of one business community. We hope our unification will plant seeds that will result in the growth of more unity within the industry.

Bringing AAHomecare and NAIMES together was also a way of adding other attributes to the definition of “unity.” Now there can also be “harmony,” “continuity,” and “consistency of purpose or action.” With the addition of NAIMES members to the rolls of AAHomecare, one national trade group now serves as the single voice for DME suppliers across the country. The addition of NAIMES staff and volunteer leadership to the staff and board of AAHomecare assures small independent suppliers that they will continue to have strong representation.

The DME industry is made up of many types of businesses, from billion-dollar behemoths to tiny rural providers with two employees, one being the owner. Despite the differing corporate philosophy, the common theme for DME suppliers large and small is to be successful, make a reasonable profit and serve their customers.

Competition among suppliers is keen but usually friendly, even in small towns where two or three suppliers vie for referrals and one of those suppliers is a large national. The one factor for which there is complete unity among all of the industry stakeholders is that the Medicare DME bidding program is wrong. This unity among suppliers and associations bridges across to our unity of purpose, which is stopping the current flawed program from going forward.

Large or small, suppliers readily agree that the current bidding program is bizarre and completely unsustainable. Despite not supporting the program, many still bid in order to survive. This unity in belief that the industry must rise to the occasion and take the message to Congress to repeal the CMS designed “suicide” bidding program was one major catalyst in the merger of NAIMES and AAHomecare. The general view is that if the industry is unable to convince Congress that the current bidding program must be replaced, there will be little need for state or national associations at all.

There are some who oppose competitive bidding, but can’t agree on whether the auction process in the proposed MPP bill, H.R. 1717, is the right solution. The vast majority of the industry and its stakeholders all agree on one thing; not trying to stop Round 2 is as bad a policy as the program itself. Whether replacing suicide bidding with the MPP plan is perfect or not, it is the only sure way we can stop the current program from going forward.

Our only chance to protect ourselves and the larger supplier community is “unity of purpose or action.” NAIMES and AAHomecare have come together and are speaking as one.” We urge all suppliers, from those with a thousand branches to those with just one, to come together and unite behind the goal of stopping the DME bidding program from going forward July 1. Leaving it to chance and hoping for failure is not a strategy. While the CMS program may fail, we know that Congressional intervention can stop Round 2, which is paramount at this point.

While there is certainly reason to be discouraged, now is not the time to give up in this fight. Using the power of unity as a force for change, we can show Congress and CMS that the DME industry does not deserve the unprecedented and overwhelming pressure that has been brought to bear. It could not be more appropriate to repeat at this moment that we, the DME community, are not the problem. We are a significant part of the solution to the high cost of healthcare. And unity will help us prevail.