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Strengthening the industry's voice by engaging clients in advocacy.

• By Mark E. Smith
• Feb 01, 2010

Strengthening the industry’s voice by engaging clients in advocacy. Aprovider recently told me that among her ideal clients are those who are exceptionally informed and involved in obtaining HME products and services. “When a client comes in having done his or her homework, and not only knows the type of product needed, but also knows about his or her funding — and even knows of the challenges! That’s the kind of client who inspires me,” she explained. “When a client knows that he or she is a stakeholder, and is willing to self-advocate, that’s the type of client where I think, ‘If the two of us, along with many other provider-client duos, could get before Capitol Hill as a team, we could really impact thelegislative issues facing the HME industry!’”

Indeed, such providers understand the power of informed, self-advocating consumers. After all, when a client understands both the possibilities and challenges in the process of obtaining HME products and services, it benefits everyone, creating a desired team approach toward the goal of securing life-improving HME products and services. What’s more, when clients truly see themselves as the ultimate stakeholders that they are — and self-advocate with insurers, their elected officials, and beyond — they dramatically change the dynamics of obtaining meaningful HME funding and services for all. In fact, a client’s voice is often not only among the most powerful toward advocating for one’s own HME needs, but also is an undeniable voice toward addressing HME industry challenges at large.

The question then becomes, how can providers encourage clients to not only be more pro-active toward self-advocating their own HME needs, but also serve as advocates toward the issues at large affecting HME products and services?

The Educator-Practitioner

While HME products and services are a lifeline for clients, they are also an aspect of their lives that many clients overlook when it comes to policy and legislative changes. The fact is, many clients understandably don’t track industry trends, and are totally unaware of what’s happening in Washington D.C. affecting HME products and services — and, most importantly, those who use them. The clients who I work with, for example, are often shocked to learn of Medicare’s “in-home” use rule for power mobility products, where Medicare won’t take outdoor use into consideration for funding. It’s these types of “unknown” policies that outrage clients when they learn of them. Understanding that quality-of-life and independence doesn’t stop at the front door — and the knowledge alone — often galvanizes them into action of contacting their legislative representatives.

What’s remarkable is that when clients know HME-related issues, they unequivocally wish to actively address them. In this way, it’s imperative for providers to take extra time for explanation with each client, and spell-out the detrimental issues affecting the client’s access to HME products and services. For example, rather than simply stating to a client, Medicare won’t cover the power wheelchair that might be best for his or her outdoor commute to college, take a moment to xplain to the client the true issue of consequence, and what he or she can specifically do to address it:

“Unfortunately, Medicare won’t cover the most appropriate power wheelchair for you to use at college because they have a rule stating that they only fund power wheelchairs needed for ‘in-home use. We’ve been fighting to change this funding restriction for some time, and while the rule can’t be changed in the immediate for your power wheelchair, it’s very important that you call, email, or request in-person meetings with your legislative representatives to let them know that this rule is harming you and others with mobility needs. Your story can make a difference.”

The Client Engaged

Engaging clients toward addressing detrimental issues affecting HME products and services goes a long way toward advocacy in our industry as a whole. When we speak of engaging clients, what’s meant is not just educating them on an issue, but giving them an understanding that they have the tools — the power — to address it. Among the best approaches I’ve seen are providers who print informational flyers every time a legislative issue arises that affects his or her clients, where the flyers serve as a great tool for clients to take home and further address, knowing the talking points of the issue when contacting elected representatives.

Providers should also encourage clients to get on-line, and research the current issues. Many disability-related websites post consumer-advocacy issues relating to HME products and services, and many product manufacturers, like those in the area of mobility products, have government affairs updates that consumers can access.

The Client-Ally

A client truly is a provider’s best ally in addressing consequential issues affecting HME products and services. A passionate provider’s words certainly have great impact toward industry advocacy, and when coupled with a client’s indisputable voice as a stakeholder, the effectiveness of the team on others becomes exponential. It’s vital to encourage clients not to merely be represented, but to represent —and, in doing so, serve as a tremendous voice of change. In simple terms, hearing of someone’s plight is not the same as actually meeting him or her, and when both a provider and a client team up in an advocacy role — in voice and in-person — it makes a vital impression on the elected officials and decision-makers being addressed. Whenever a provider has a meeting with a person of influence regarding detrimental issues to the HME industry, inviting an informed, articulate, representative client is always a sound choice that truly demonstrates the importance of the topic.

An Empowered Team

Working in the industry, we inherently advocate for our clients everyday — and it’s a noble way to serve others. However, we must also not only encourage clients to self-advocate for their own HME products and services, but also encourage them to advocate for HME needs at large. Providers should educate clients on important issues, encourage clients to further address them, and involve clients in the industry’s advocacy work. After all, when a passionate provider and an empowered client team up, that’s an inspired, unified voice that others simply can’t deny

This article originally appeared in the February 2010 issue of HME Business.