AAH, VGM coordinate advocacy efforts

WASHINGTON - AAHomecare and The VGM Group will merge their respective consumer advocacy groups into one industry wide platform.

Per the merger, AAHomecare's Save My Medical Supplies and VGM's People for Quality Care will combine under the PFQC brand.

“This coordinated, collaborative effort builds upon our past successes, while streamlining advocacy efforts to maximize impact,” said Tom Ryan, president and CEO of AAHomecare.

The groups aim to use their collective influence and resources to better reach, educate and engage consumers who have been negatively impacted by poor healthcare policies, and to share their messages with Congress.

AAHomecare officially launched Save My Medical Supplies with a website, and Facebook and twitter pages in April 2014. Among its accomplishments: A campaign that generated more than 5,500 letters in 90 days asking Congress to reform harmful Medicare policies.

PFQC, launched by VGM in 2010, has been behind a number of initiatives aimed at fighting these policies, including a “Dear Medicare” website featuring stories of seniors and people with disabilities who are being negatively impacted; an interactive map with data on beneficiary complaints across the country; and a “Faces Behind the Red Tape” online video series specifically documenting the impact of audits on beneficiaries.