Medtrade Spring: What's happening

LAS VEGAS - Providers need to make lobbying a regular part of their business duties, AAHomecare officials told attendees to its Washington Update at Medtrade Spring today.

"Homecare is cost-effective and homecare is patient-preferred," President Tyler Wilson told attendees. "As the population ages, we are the right solution to help rein in healthcare spending. But you can't decimate the HME sector and then expect it to meet the needs of a growing Medicare population. Congress and CMS need to work with us to fashion solutions that are good for Medicare but don't undermine the viability of the homecare community."

Competitive bidding remains a key focus for the industry right now, and providers are urged to continue to build support for H.R. 3790, which currently stands at 237 co-sponsors. The industry still  needs a sponsor for a Senate companion bill.

Also at Medtrade, providers raised about $30,000 at a reception for the Stand Up for Homecare campaign Wednesday night.

The campaign, headed by AAHomecare is an ongoing public relations effort to create an accurate portrayal of the HME industry in the media.

Other Medtrade news

AAHomecare elected six at-large directors: Robert Brant, general manager of City Medical Services in Miami, Randy Wolfe, president of Lamberts' Health Care in Knoxville, Tenn., David McCausland, senior VP for planning and government affairs for The ROHO Group, Jackie Bolt, president and CEO of Carolina Homecare, William Elliott, president and CEO of The MED Group, and Tim Pederson, CEO, WestMed Rehab in Rapid City, S.D.

A.J. Filippis, president and CEO of Wright & Filippis, was elected chair of the Association. Joel Marx, CEO of Medical Service Company was elected vice chair, and Scott Meuser, chairman and CEO of Pride Mobility Products was elected secretary.