Make a Difference

Every one of us can “Make a Difference.”

Our industry just received a low blow. It was not intended to be that! CMS is blindly reaching out for ways and means to save money. But rather than accomplish decent savings, what they are doing will be so detrimental little or no good will come from it. The SPAs (single payment amounts) is a very poorly thought-out effort.

Things like this happen because we, as a profession of providers and dealers, do not work together as we should and so have lost much ability to influence changes.

We should be able to say that as an industry we will NOT accept any decline in reimbursements for eight chosen product categories. Simply NO, because our costs are more than the reimbursement. When we all say NO, where can they turn?

The time has come for our industry to join together and work more closely. I have received e-mails from both state and national associations. They have great ideas and superb solutions, but only have limited dollars.

At Medtrade Spring in Las Vegas I will speak with each association to see what can be done to build an effective team! Let us make that move and no longer allow them to use us as whipping boys.

We all are aware that DME/HME services and supplies are the most important step for good healthcare. We make sure that what the professionals order is provided with full instructions. We follow up and give tremendous service, much of it pro bono.

The affect is that SPA will make a difference for our industry. At the same time, all of our patients, customers, and their family caregivers as a consequence will also be affected. We need to make our voice heard. We need to make it heard loud and clear and we will make a difference NOW!

UPDATE

This week I received two unsolicited copies of The Constitution of the United States. Tuesday evening, as I am sure most of you did, I listened to President Obama’s annual “State of the Nation” report and then to the rebuttal by Senator Marco Rubio. After I heard them speak, I read the Constitution again. I am very proud of what and who we are! Don’t we have a fantastic government?

Look back to the Founding Fathers of the United States, George Washington, etc. The history books tell us how they disagreed, fought with one another but then sat down together and found answers. That is why we are such a great country!

I will admit that the politicians did not always solve all their problems peacefully; i.e. V.P. Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton disagreed about everything. Hamilton wrote a scathing report in the newspaper that led to a pistol duel in Weehawken, NJ. Can something like that happen again? 

I am watching how the two leaders, President Obama and Senator Boehner, are slowly recognizing they must, and I know they will, find a solution. But I don’t want this to be a history lesson. I want to show how important it is that our industry working together will find a stronger voice. Only as a team can we change onerous legislation and maintain our business.

At Medtrade in Las Vegas there will many discussions about what steps our industry must take. Every attendee and DME/HME provider  must participate. The state and national associations, the buying groups and the affiliates all working together will accomplish the same.

My dream is that at Medtrade in Las Vegas we will find the means to bring all of us into a united front and allow DME/HME dealers to remain solvent. Let us turn my dream into reality. Register for Medtrade Spring today.