NEW YORK--Like a bad penny, negative press for the HME industry always seems to turn up--most recently, in a report for NBC by senior investigative correspondent Lisa Myers.
The report, which aired July 26 on the “Nightly News with Brian Williams,” had the following introduction:
“After being hammered by Congress for wasting taxpayer money, Medicare recently moved to fix the problem. So why was its new program to slash prices on medical supplies and save the government hundreds of millions of dollars stopped dead in its tracks?”
The report on the delay of competitive bidding--which included an interview with CMS Acting Administrator Kerry Weems--went on to question why Congress would delay a “Medicare savings bill,” stated that Medicare had been “overpaying” for home medical equipment for years and said industry lobbyists had “spent millions” fighting the bid program.
The contentions were countered by Cara Bachenheimer, senior vice president of government relations for Invacare, who also was featured in the report. “Any reduction in the payment level will have a very direct impact on the level or quality of items and services that consumers receive,” she told Myers.
But that's almost all she got to say. “I interviewed for 40 minutes and they took eight seconds--very frustrating,” Bachenheimer said.
Michael Reinemer, vice president of communications and policy for the American Association for Homecare, said the organization was not contacted about the report, and, upon viewing the NBC segment, he contacted the network.
“Myers insists that she did a fair and accurate story,” Reinemer said. “I requested an opportunity to respond or to have a follow-up segment to correct the misconceptions but have not heard back.”
In a letter to NBC, Reinemer pointed out the report failed to explain that the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, which delays competitive bidding, includes a 9.5 percent across-the-board reimbursement cut that will be effective next year and also ensures providers “will forgo a CPI reimbursement adjustment, which will, according to the Congressional Budget Office, completely offset and possibly over pay for the savings that the flawed bidding program would have reaped,” he wrote.
The story also failed to account for the services involved with HME and instead relied on the often-used quotes that pit retail costs for equipment against reimbursement rates, Reinemer said. “The higher price in Medicare offsets the delivery and services tailored to the Medicare beneficiary, who is in the cheapest care setting possible--his or her own home,” his letter pointed out.
The NBC report is just the latest in a series of stories unfavorable to HME that some feel have contributed to the industry's negative image in Washington.
“Like it or not, our industry continues to be perceived in a very negative light on Capitol Hill,” Bachenheimer said. “Whether it is the succession of negative and continuing Office of Inspector General and General Accountability Office reports, neither the source nor the validity is relevant. What does matter is that the perception is real and pervasive.”
She also said HME needs its own public relations campaign to highlight the industry's positive contributions.
Industry groups have already stepped up communications efforts. Reinemer said AAHomecare's ongoing “Stand Up For Homecare” campaign is making strides, contacting legislators and the consumer media in attempts to get positive messages about HME to the public. The group is planning its third annual fundraiser for the campaign during Medtrade in October. But there remains much room for progress, Reinemer said.
“We have been battling the CMS talking points on this virtually all year now, and we'll continue,” he said.
For information on the fundraiser, visit www.aahomecare.org.