07/13/2022

Virtual Washington Legislative Conference Facilitates High-Impact Advocacy without Travel

AAHomecare Hosts Event on September 21; Register Now!

AAHomecare’s Washington Legislative Conference is going virtual again this year, bringing together HME leaders from around the nation to advocate for HME policy priorities with members of Congress and staffers through zoom-enabled meetings.

Last year’s conference saw 140 advocates engage more than 220 Congressional offices – sharing first-hand expertise on how HME products and services have played an essential role in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic and making the case for policies to further strengthen our ability to provide high-quality, home-based care.

Join us in making an even stronger impression on Capitol Hill this year.  In just a couple hours’ time, you can meet with Senators, Representatives, and staff to give a first-hand account of the challenges you face – and what legislative measure your company needs to ensure a high standard of care for the communities you serve.

The 2022 Virtual Washington Legislative Conference will allow HME advocates to make the case for top industry priorities, including: 

• Making a long-overdue meaningful adjustment to Medicare reimbursement for suppliers in former CBAs and continuing additional relief for suppliers in rural/non-bid areas.  We need reimbursement rates that reflect the market realities and supply-chain issues facing HME suppliers.
• Advocate for measures to stabilize reimbursement for HME and not move forward with competitive bidding in its current form, with CMS able to reject bidding results.
• Protecting beneficiary access to respiratory therapy and continuous glucose monitors after the end of the COVID-19 PHE.
• Preventing potential 4% Medicare sequester cuts in 2023 triggered by the application of 2010 Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) legislation to COVID-19 relief deficit spending.  Letting these drastic automatic cuts stand would essentially finance expansive coronavirus relief through deep cuts on Medicare reimbursement rates for HME and other healthcare segments; we need to make sure Congress doesn’t let that happen.
• Ensuring that members of Congress understand how rising product and operational costs, as well as supply chain issues, are impacting HME providers and patients.

Timed for Maximum Impact

The Conference is timed so that HME advocates can make the maximum impact on Capitol Hill in advance of a deadline to pass government funding legislation by the end of September, as well as for potential omnibus healthcare legislative packages later in the year.

We’ve eliminated the travel but kept the impact of this advocacy session through a virtual format. Meetings with members of Congress will take place through Zoom conference lines from 9:00am to 5:30pm ET on September 21. One week prior to the meetings, on September 14, AAHomecare will host a one-hour advocacy event online offering issue education, training on tracking your meetings and logging in via Zoom, and a guidance on how to ensure your message gets through to legislators and staff.

We need your voice to make a high-impact case for meaningful policy action!  Please register as soon as possible so we can secure you the best slate of meetings on September 21.

Register here – $129 AAHomecare members/$149 non-members.