Industry Swings into Action as Election Heats Up

ATLANTA–With just weeks to go until Nov. 4, HME industry
leaders are encouraging providers to seize a window of opportunity
and make sure federal legislators, recessed to stump for election
candidates, hear the positive aspects of home care.

Many providers, manufacturers and other stakeholders prepared to
do just that as they announced a flurry of political activity.

The political activism, propelled in part by the momentum gained
when the industry won a delay in competitive bidding, drew kudos
from those representing HME who meet regularly with the
nation’s lawmakers.

“It’s a hugely positive phenomenon,” said Cara
Bachenheimer, senior vice president of government relations for
Invacare, Elyria, Ohio. “We can’t control our destiny,
but we can influence our destiny by building those relationships
… I say let’s do more.”

“We’re seeing a very excellent groundswell,”
said John Gallagher, vice president of government relations for
VGM, Waterloo, Iowa, citing in particular the New England Medical
Equipment Dealers Association, which formed its own political
action committee in order to support select members of
Congress.

On Wednesday, Mal Mixon, chairman and CEO of Invacare, met with
former Sen. Tom Daschle, top advisor on health care for Sen. Barack
Obama’s presidential campaign.

“It was very encouraging, because there is clearly an
appreciation for what home care can bring to the table–besides
just cost, there is also quality,” Bachenheimer said, noting
that Daschle was “very emphatic” about Obama’s
support of home health care.

The focus of the hour-long meeting was “relationship-building
for whoever ends up in the White House,” Bachenheimer said, noting
that Mixon stressed “the willingness of the industry to work with
them” should there be a new Democratic administration.

Bachenheimer said no meeting has been scheduled yet with
Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, but Mixon “will
be conversing in a fair amount of detail” on the industry’s
issues with McCain’s running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, at an
upcoming October event.

“The short-term objective is to get each candidate to recognize
the merits of home health care, and the longer-term objective is
that whoever wins the election will be more receptive to
incorporating home health care in a much larger way in whatever
direction things go as far as health care reform as well as
Medicare reform,” Bachenheimer said.

Other current industry political activities include:

Accredited Medical Equipment Providers of
America–“Change the Face of HME,” a drive to
create demonstration tools showing the positive face of home
medical equipment companies to present to legislators. Information:
[email protected].

AAHomecare–The third “Stand Up for Homecare”
reception and fundraiser from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, at
the Omni Hotel in Atlanta during Medtrade. The event will raise
funds for an HME public awareness campaign. Even with the 18-month
delay of competitive bidding, the industry faces tough public
relations challenges, and “home care” must be more
firmly planted in the minds of the American public and a top
priority of those in Congress, the association said. AAHomecare
officials said beginning later this year, the association will
retain a public relations agency to conduct a broad, aggressive
public awareness campaign promoting the mission of the home care
industry and weaving the value of home care into the national
health care debate. One goal is to make sure the HME profession is
recognized for leading the fight to prevent fraud and abuse in
Medicare. Information about the event: Kim Kianka, [email protected]. Information about the Stand Up
for Homecare campaign: Michael Reinemer, [email protected].

Georgia Association of Medical Equipment
Services–Luncheon fundraiser for Rep. Tom Price, MD, R-Ga., at
11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, during Medtrade in Atlanta. In 2006
and 2007, Price introduced the Home Oxygen Patient Protection Act
to repeal the Deficit Reduction Act’s rental cap on Medicare
home oxygen and restore ownership of equipment to providers (see
HomeCare Monday, Jan. 29, 2007);
campaign to support state Rep. Butch Parrish in his bid for
re-election in District 56. Information: GAMES, www.gameshme.org.

National Association of Independent Medical Equipment
Suppliers–“Warriors for DME,” a letter-writing
campaign to alert legislators to the “perils facing oxygen
patients in disaster situations and how the oxygen cap beginning
Jan. 1, 2009, will affect future service to such patients.”
Information: NAIMES, www.dmehelp.org.

VGM–Fundraising event for Rep.Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, chair
of the House Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting and
Technology and an advocate of HME, today at VGM’s offices in
Waterloo; campaign to support Monty Lankford, Republican candidate
for the Fourth Congressional District in Tennessee, who owns TLC
Medical Oxygen and Hospital Equipment in Franklin, Tenn.
Information: VGM, www.vgm.com.