HALIFAX, Va., Feb. 14, 2013—VGM and AAHomecare have joined NAIMES in urging immediate action immediately in conjunction with the Washington Fly-In on Feb 26-27. All providers need to get involved now. We need to let our legislators know that we are angry and ask the question, “What is Congress going to do to fix this?” Here you will find the coordinated industry action plan. Please be sure that you are coordinating with your competitors, referral sources and patients. To be effective, everyone must get involved. Note: NAIMES will no longer hold an issues briefing at 2 p.m. on Feb 26. Instead we will assist in manning the hospitality rooms and materials handout.
Schedule In-District Meetings with members of Congress
February 18-22 is a Congressional recess. This means your member of congress will be home. Take advantage of their time in their home states/district to tell your personal stories of the negative impacts of competitive bidding. Your elected officials need to know that competitive bidding will put you out of business and harm access for millions of Medicare beneficiaries if allowed to be fully implemented.
If you have not done so already, please contact your state association to see if a meeting has already been scheduled with your representative. If one has not, visit the Action Center on the VGM D.C. Link to find contact information for your legislator's district office. NAIMES wants to help you reach out. It can provide talking points and contact information for you to get in touch with in-district staff members to schedule a meeting or attend an already scheduled public event with your local member of congress to tell them of the effects of competitive bidding on independent DME providers.
We realize that it is difficult and costly for many independent DME's to travel to Washington D.C., but it is imperative that independent DMEs speak out now. Work with your state association leaders and VGM to contact your member of congress and set up an in-district meeting from February 18-22. Do not take no for an answer. If your representative or senators are not available to meet with you, insist to meet with a staff member or plan to attend a public event (i.e. town hall meeting). The time is now to get involved. We need to rattle the cages and make some noise about competitive bidding.
Attend the DME industry D.C. Fly-In
If you have never taken action before to fight competitive bidding and feel the same frustration other providers do, then you need to act now. Schedule a meeting with your legislator by coordinating with your state association. Reach out to referral sources, beneficiaries and competitors and insist they join you in D.C. A mass number of individuals is needed to make a statement to Congress that competitive bidding needs to end.
Plan to arrive in DC on the Feb. 26 and have meetings with your member of Congress on the 27th. A meeting room will be available to pick up resource materials, assemble with members of your state association also as a place to rest and kick back your feet after all your hard work. We will provide this information upon confirmation.
VGM has reserved a block of rooms at the Courtyard Washington Capitol Hill/Navy Yard Hotel. You have until Feb. 20 to secure a rate for $239. To reserve a room call 866-329-0003 and make sure to mention the VGM Group. This is also the NAIMES headquarters hotel. A list of additional hotels near the Reagan Washington National Airport/Crystal City/Arlington and downtown Washington D.C. is also available (http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1103866035949-2846/Hotels+for+DC+Fly.pdf).
Virtual Fly-In: shut down the switchboard
It is absolutely necessary that referral sources, patients, family, employees, etc., get involved. While you are in D.C. attending the Fly In they can “shut down the switchboard,” urging their legislators to put a stop to the current bidding program. Learn more at www.dmehelp.org.