Industry rocks Congress

A powerhouse quartet of industry leaders--The MED Group, The VGM Group, AAHomecare and NAIMES--have joined forces on a grassroots campaign to encourage thousands of Medicare beneficiaries to write postcards to their congressmen, encouraging them not to cut reimbursement for home medical equipment. The campaign, "Rock the Halls of Congress," acknowledges that without the help of consumers--a key constituency that lawmakers listen to closely--Congress could very well cut oxygen reimbursement and eliminate the first-month purchase option for power wheelchairs this year. Those cuts have been mentioned as ways to stave off a scheduled 10% cut to physician reimbursement scheduled to take effect July 1. "We've got to do something between now and the end of June to make our voice heard," said Wayne Stanfield, president and CEO of the National Association of Independent Medical Equipment Suppliers (NAIMES), which organized the consumer campaign. "This is going to be the largest combined lobbying effort in the history of the industry." Added Don Clayback, vice president of government relations for MED: "This campaign could be the turning point for us this year.The key is for every provider to get involved." The group shot to have 25,000 patient-written postcards sent to members of Congress at their home district offices the week of Feb 11. To accomplish this, they contacted their members, requesting that they spread the word, even to local competitors. Additionally, all 30 state DME organizations were encouraged to pitch in, requesting that members ask patients to participate in the postcard campaign. The second phase of the campaign encouraged providers to visit their congressmen in their home districts during the week of Feb. 18. Phase three: Encourage as many people as possible to carry that message to Washington, D.C., March 4-6, as part of AAHomecare's Legislative Conference, the association's annual lobbying event.