AAH locks in on Medicare Advantage

WASHINGTON – While there has been a spotlight on Medicare Advantage recently, AAHomecare has been focused on the program for more than a year and it’s ready to go-live with a number of new resources for HME providers. 

The resources include a digital brochure that spells out how providers reduce costs, improve outcomes and increase patient satisfaction, complete with embedded videos from patients and the association’s president and CEO, Tom Ryan. 

“We’re providing resources to the supplier community to encourage individual communication with these plans, especially when they’re negotiating contracts,” said David Chandler, senior director of payer relations. “There are 3,800 different plans nationwide and we can’t meet with 3,800 plans.”    

Chandler and Laura Williard, vice president of payer relations for AAHomecare, will present the digital brochure at Medtrade East, Oct. 24-26 in Atlanta. 

AAHomecare is also in the process of consolidating five white papers prepared by Brown & Fortunato on different aspects of Medicare Advantage, including the adequacy of provider networks, into one condensed white paper. 

“The big takeaway is, ultimately, there is very little oversight of these plans, and we think that’s by design,” Chandler said. 

The resources are part of a larger Payer Engagement Resource Center on AAHomecare’s website that includes talking points for negotiations and a letter on the current challenging environment for HME.

“As an industry, we know well the rules Medicare operates under,” Williard said, “but we also want to be as well-versed in Medicare Advantage as we can.”