Page 10 - HME Business, August/September 2019

News / Trends / Analysis
AAHomecare Starts a Payer Relations Council
Association also approaching completion of state-level legislation and regulatory toolkit to help industry advocates.
of an initiative to strengthen its marketing and membership recruitment efforts.
The effort has been underwritten by a group
of AAHomecare members keen to attract more members and resources in order to drive increased industry advocacy. Those members have also collaborated with our staff and the in90group to work on new messaging and member recruitment strategies to help expand the association’s reach.
An online survey and telephone interviews with leaders at a broad cross-section of HME suppliers and stakeholders were used to create a white paper, A New Decade/A New Generation of HME Providers (bit.ly/2TpTJyZ), that shows how the HME sector is evolving and the role of industry associa- tions in meeting suppliers’ needs.
AAHomecare shared the white paper with more than 2,000 membership prospects last week as part of a fast-tempo, multi-channel marketing and recruitment effort that is planned to run throughout the remainder of the year.
“We’ll utilize what we’re learning in this process to improve our communications and outreach to our members, Capitol Hill and state legislative audi- ences, regulators, our allies in the patient advocacy community, and other important audiences,” said Tom Ryan, president and CEO of AAHomecare.
ATHOMES Begins
Registration for
Fall Conference
The ATHOMES fall conference
will feature sessions by industry experts, exhibit time and networking
egistration for the Association of Tennessee Home Oxygen and Medical Services (ATHOMES; athomes.org) 2019 Fall
The American Association for Homecare (aahomecare.org) has launched a Payer Relations Council that will focus on non- Medicare payer relations, such as Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, Medicaid Managed Care Organizations and commercial plans.
The high-level committee will identify current and future payer relations issues impacting providers across the country, and then educate providers about those issues and help them address those issues, according to Laura Williard, vice presi- dent of Payer Relations for AAHomecare.
The Payer Relations Council will build on the successes seen by the association’s other coun-
cils, such at the Regulatory Council, which combines different stakeholders from across the industry to engage in a collaborative effort.
“That combined effort is what has made a real difference for the DME industry,” Williard said. “So my goal has been to develop that same thing but for a payer relations strategy.”
The council will include a maximum of 30 members comprised of providers of varying sizes, geographies and product types. While its membership is primarily providers, the council will include some participation from vendors, and organizations like the state asso- ciations and VGM. Also, it will likely coordinate with AAHomecare’s State Leaders Council.
AAHomecare held a Payer Relations Council strategic planning day on Aug. 27 to develop industry payer relations goals for 2020, as well as long-term agenda items, according to Williard. From that point, the council will hold four quarterly, in-person meetings.
State Legislation and Regulatory Toolkit
Following that drive to coordinate efforts across the various states, AAHomecare’s State Legislative and Regulatory Workgroup has released a State Legislative and Regulatory Resource Toolkit.
Currently a 15-page document, the toolkit provides resources for successfully lobbying on behalf of state initiatives, said David Chandler, director of Payer Relations for AAHomecare.
“Within this toolkit, we have a broad set of issues that we’re experiencing across the country,” he said. “And then we’ve put together tools for advocacy, such as steps for having effective meetings with state legislators.”
Also, the toolkit includes a flowchart that helps state-level HME advocates determine the best way to address issues, and whether or not those issues should be addressed at the regulatory or legislative level.
A large portion of the toolkit is dedicated to consistent legislative language for various topics, such as establishing a rate floor, preventing audits on prior approved items for medical necessity, consistent medical policy within the MCO plans,
or how manually priced items should looks, for example. The toolkit also shows in which states these various pieces of legislative language have been used and whether or not they were successful.
“We think this will provide a step-by-step tool for various state leaders to take and march with,” Chandler explained.
While AAHomceare doesn’t have an exact release date for the toolkit, it is nearing finalizing the document.
AAHomecare Works to Expand Association
In related news, AAHomecare is sporting a new logo and has undergone a web redesign, as part
pportunities.
oR
Conference is now open. The conference will feature sessions by industry experts, exhibit time and networking opportunities.
The event will take place Sep. 24-25 at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville. At the conference, industry experts will offer sessions on the following topics:
• Knowing and Understanding Your Contracts with Payers
• Competing Force Within: Balance Sales with Successful Reimbursement
• Current Status of Legislative Activity
• You Asked – Now Time to Deliver
• E-prescribing: The Response to CMS’ Goal to
Kill the Fax Machine
• Round 2021 Bid Window is Close: NOW
What? – Predictions, Analysis & Commentary
• What’s NEW with Medicare?
• State Payer Relations Updates and Trends Providers can register at athomes.org, and the
full agenda can be found at bit.ly/33qflQx. Cost of registration varies based on options selected.
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