We’re so back (I hope) 

AAHomecare will hold its first full-scale, in-person lobbying day in six years on May 12-13. 

IMHO, the timing couldn’t be better. 

The industry’s annual lobbying day shifted to a virtual format during the COVID-19 pandemic and stayed that way for several years. It returned to in-person last year but only on a limited scale. 

While stakeholders from AAHomecare, VGM and other groups have worked valiantly to get reimbursement relief passed before and after the 75/25 blended reimbursement rates expired in non-competitive bidding, non-rural areas on Jan. 1, 2024, it has never crossed the finish line. 

With a new bill introduced in the House of Representatives (thank you Reps. Miller-Meeks, Tonko, Feenstra and Panetta), getting face time with staffers on the Hill during the lobbying day could make a difference. 

I’m no Pollyanna. Anyone with a TV, computer or smart phone knows the environment in Washington, D.C., right now is one of decreases, not increases. At press time, the American Medical Association was decrying a proposed spending package that locks in a 2.8% cut for physicians, the fifth consecutive year of such cuts. Eeeek! 

But AAHomecare’s Tom Ryan believes the industry has a story to tell and it fits perfectly into that narrative – mainly that home care decreases overall spending. 

The industry is doing a better and better job of highlighting data to support that story. Most recently, EnsoData was part of a team of researchers that found Medicare beneficiaries with chronic conditions who initiated PAP therapy displayed $195 reduced per-member per-month costs over 24 months. 

BTW, Ryan is so committed to this story that home care decreases overall spending that he mentioned it twice in recent interviews – not only about the relief efforts but also about the potential for Medicaid cuts.

Of course, reimbursement relief won’t be the only talking point during the lobbying day. So will Medicare Advantage denials, carbon /titanium manual wheelchair coverage, UPIC reforms, e-prescribing support and more. 

But we know it will be the main talking point for most participants, along with a longer-term solution that aligns reimbursement with the market reality for providers in former bid areas. 

So, get ready to shine your leather shoes, iron that pleated knee-length skirt, and take out your American flag pins. 

And get ready to talk HME’s story.