Observation Deck

Committing to the Cause

Here are four key ways providers can increase their involvement in stopping competitive bidding.

• By Beth Cox
• Oct 01, 2013

Commitment: What does it mean to you? Does it mean that during power outages you are frantically calling your oxygen patients to make sure they have the oxygen supply they need? Does it mean when one customer keeps coming back because he needs a personalized modification to his shower chair that you relentlessly tinker with it to solve the problem? For many it means taking the extra few minutes to listen to a customer talk about his family in the absence of other visitors.

I’ve had the pleasure of traveling the country to meet medical equipment providers for more than two years and I have consistently heard examples such as these. I have interviewed patients who shed tears when discussing the importance of having access to their medical equipment provider of choice — the providers who were always there for them when they were in need. It’s your commitment that has given patients the tools they need to live the best life they can and improve the quality of life in your community.

The Medicare Competitive Bidding Program has threatened the value of your commitment and livelihood, as a company that has been there for your community members in need. Since June of 2013, People for Quality Care, the advocacy division of VGM Group Inc., along with The American Association for Homecare have sponsored a beneficiary complaint hotline, which has received more than 2,000 complaints from beneficiaries in need. The complaint records are used to talk to Congressional members from around the country about the impact of competitive bidding program on beneficiaries who rely on your care and service and boy, are they ruffling some feathers!

We’ve heard from CMS representatives who are being pressured by Congress members to answer these issues that they have not addressed formally in their reporting messages. We’ve received feedback from the biggest congressional supporters of the competitive bidding program that the complaints are being generated by the industry and thus are not relevant. And the CMS press machine has continued to fire back generic messages indicating that all is well and there is no problem.

While initially these responses grate on us and make us angry, they also show that our methods are working. We want to ruffle feathers and make a stir that puts opponents on the defensive. Most importantly, we need your help to continue doing so.

As a committed homecare provider, you have worked for many years to form the relationships that are required to encourage grass-roots political action. The next step is to make the ask. Here are four key action steps you can take to help the industry effort:

1. Have Patients Call the Beneficiary Complaint Hotline.

Patients can log a complaint at (800) 404-8702 and then if they choose, transfer to the congressional switchboard to speak with their Representative. Thirty-seven of the complaints received on the hotline have been general frustration about losing a provider of choice, while the remaining 2,000 complaints have been related to specific situations experienced by beneficiaries such as long waits for service, confusion created by CMS or difficulty acquiring equipment for multiple reasons. There are many reasons why people call, so if your customer shows any frustration, give them the number. Sixty-seven percent of callers asked to be transferred to the congressional switchboard.

2. Help Your Patients to Speak with Congress.

When an individual dials the Congressional switchboard or sends an email to representatives, the message will pass through a “gatekeeper” who will determine whether the complaint will move up to more influential staffers such as the Health Legislative Assistant or the Chief of Staff. To improve this possibility, make sure to be polite and show respect for the office no matter how frustrated you may be or how much you dislike the Congress person being contacted. Do this by using appropriate titles and addressing messages to “the honorary Senator McCain.”

Address the competitive bidding issue as one that is independent from others, including the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), or other issues unrelated to health policy. Messages should show political neutrality while focusing on the issue at hand in order to minimize the possibility that the staffer does not see eye-to-eye with opinions unrelated to the competitive bidding issue. This improves credibility of the complaint. Also, if possible, ask to speak with the Chief of Staff or Health Legislative Assistant directly to improve the chances that your message will get through. Finally, the most impactful message to Congress will be one that tells the story. People experience empathy from story-telling and “being in one’s shoes.” Coach your customers to tell the background of why they need medical equipment and explain how quality of life is threatened when equipment and service is unavailable.

3. Ask Referral Sources to Speak Out.

The biggest advocate for quality homecare are the professionals who understand how your work helps patients and can speak from a “third party” perspective. Homecare nurses, occupational therapists and discharge planners are great examples. Encourage them to contact Congress, educate patients on the issue and help you spread awareness about this detrimental program.

4. Ask Media to Cover The Story.

With cuts to local newspapers and television news stations recently, the key to getting media to cover your story is to help do their work for them. This means enlisting a customer and a third party medical professional to tell their stories. The more information you can provide to reporters the better. So give them the issue background, photos you may have and contact information of willing participants to make their job easier. We’ve seen in recent months that the media is beginning to recognize our issue, and it is getting coverage it in many areas due to diligent providers and state associations.

People for Quality Care is here for you every step of the way. If you have questions or need resources, please give me a call at (866) 544-7913. We are forever in awe of providers’ commitment to community and customers and we sincerely thank all providers for their efforts. It will be our pleasure to help you take the next step in activism.

This article originally appeared in the October 2013 issue of HME Business.