Stay Cool - But Don't Stay Silent

I had a most fascinating conversation this past weekend with an old friend. He is a successful HME provider on the West Coast. I have known him for many years and look forward to seeing him again at Medtrade Spring in Las Vegas.

What I enjoyed hearing was that he has much faith in the industry and the people who run the associations. He feels, much as I do, that we will weather the storm. He feels competitive bidding and the other onerous regulations will soon be eliminated. I asked him why he felt so confident. His answer is what I am going to share with all: “Very few senior citizens and beneficiaries of Medicare have felt the pressures experienced by those in the markets where there have been winners.”

He has been very busy speaking to all of his clients and has his employees doing the same. He has contacted the pharmacists, physicians and other health care providers in the community and discussed in detail all of the problems this has created. They all understood and realized how their patients will be affected.

Armed with the material he gathered from his state HME association and AAHomecare, he tells me that they are all joining with him and our industry in this conflict. As a direct result of all these efforts, they are all writing and calling their congressmen. None of the people he knows in his community want to see this happen.

Is he cool? Yes!
Should you be cool? Yes!

What he is doing can be replicated by every HME provider. The tidal wave this will create will obliterate the onerous legislation.

He added another word of advice, which I am passing on. He agrees with us. If Social Security and Medicare will eliminate the fraud and abuse there will be sufficient funds available and the government will also see costs being driven down.

Stay cool and listen to what I heard. We can do it!