As winter storms surge across Ohio and the entire country, the HME community is no stranger to braving the elements in the name of patient care to provide vital equipment and services.
However, payers, legislators, and governmental agencies often fail to recognize the critical service component of HME providers as partners in the care continuum. Through programs like Competitive Bidding, the HME Industry has experienced a 40% decline in the number of HME providers available to meet demand. The pandemic and winter storms are exacerbating problems in an already stretched Industry, yet our members are doing everything they can to take care of our nation’s most vulnerable population who rely on HME.
Join our national and state efforts to showcase the incredible role of the HME Industry in caring for patients, particularly when natural disasters strike! Your stories help illustrate the value of HME with payers and governmental bodies while reiterating the need for sustainable reimbursement and policies that protect patient access.
Here are two examples of AAHomecare members making a difference in Texas and West Virginia; please continue to share reports of your essential work supporting patients under these challenging conditions!
If the storms have affected your ability to provide equipment, services, and supplies, we welcome that information as well so that we can relay the impact on the HME Industry to payers, regulators and legislators as our advocacy work continues.
Feel free to contact OAMES executive director Kam Yuricich at kam@oames.org if you have any questions or need assistance in sharing your story.