Shelly Sounds Off

I have shared this quote from Doctor Seuss with my children and my grandchildren. I want to share it with all of you. “Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So… get on your way!”

Many of the problems facing our industry can be resolved if we, as a team, gather our forces into one powerful voice. I realized that at the Medtrade meeting in Atlanta a few weeks ago. I cannot tell you how impressive it was visiting the many booths and seeing the efforts each of them are addressing to Congress and Medicare. The goal is to get both to understand the role of the HME provider.

They do not recognize the service and the care senior citizens and beneficiaries receive. Much of the service is pro-bono and all of that would disappear if the providers and dealers were forced out of business. Congressmen receive a healthy salary and a fantastic retirement. HME providers, on the other hand, eke out a very small reimbursement and they are trying to further reduce that. We must act, today is OUR day!

If all of the buying groups, national and state associations would sit down and work together to organize the entire industry, what a voice that would create! When I see how much money each of them are spending, I then become very aware that if that money was all in one pot, how much further it would go!

The AMA, AHA, pharmaceutical manufacturers, lawyers, every industry, except HME/HME has banded together but our voice is not heard, it is too soft.
Now all I can say is our industry has very fine people, erudite and understanding and they can do for us what the others do. So… get on OUR way.
We can become a powerful and effective voice for every senior citizen, family caregiver and patient. Let’s do it, OUR mountain is waiting.