ATLANTA — After a call from the Obama administration for public input on health care reform (see Obama Sets the Stage for Health Care Reform, HomeCare Monday, Dec. 15), several industry organizations scheduled community meetings to raise HME's issues.
Nielsen Business Media, producer of Medtrade and Medtrade Spring, will host a community discussion today at 1 p.m. at its headquarters in Alpharetta, Ga. HME providers and manufacturers are invited to attend the meeting, which will address topics such as the impact of competitive bidding and the effect of reimbursement cuts on patient care.
The National Association of Independent Medical Equipment Suppliers also will host a town hall meeting today at 1 p.m. in South Boston, Va., to discuss health care reform and "specifically focus on home care and DME as a key component of solving the high cost of health care," the group said.
Member services organization VGM Group had set a town hall meeting last week, but postponed the Friday morning event after more than 8.5 inches of snow fell in its hometown of Waterloo, Iowa. The group said it will likely reschedule the meeting.
According to President-elect Obama's transition Web site (www.change.gov), health care will be a "top priority," and he's asking for Americans' help in "reforming the system to provide quality, affordable health care" by holding community discussions.
Their hosts said results of the meetings would be sent to Sen. Tom Daschle, newly appointed HHS head, as recommendations for the health care reform debate that Congress is expected to take up at some point next year. Exactly when, however, now seems up for grabs.
While Obama has made it clear he wants to tackle health reform in his first 100 days in office, last week House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chairman Fortney "Pete" Stark, D-Calif., said work on the economy and other priorities could delay reform legislation until early 2010.
"I don't think we'll do it in the first 100 days," Stark told reporters Wednesday. Quoted in popular Washington newspaper The Hill, he also said several smaller health care issues, including reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, delaying a Medicare reimbursement cut for physicians and health information technology legislation — issues he labeled "deferred maintenance" — could push back a larger reform measure.
In addition, Stark noted the need to build toward health reform in an orderly process, one in which stakeholder groups including providers, insurers and drugmakers have time to state their cases. "I think you have to give everybody a chance to have a hearing," Stark said.
For information about today's community meeting in Atlanta, contact Medtrade at 770/291-5457 or visit Medtrade's Web site.
For information about today's community meeting in South Boston, Va., contact NAIMES at 434/572-9457 or visit www.dmehelp.org.