Today, the former Governor and newly sworn South Carolina Congressman, Mark Sanford, will visit ABC Medical of Charleston, SC to discuss the Competitive Bidding Program with his constituents and seniors. Andrea Stark and the leadership from the South Carolina Medical Equipment Services Association (SCMESA) will also be on site to participate in the meeting. This visit is a direct result of contact made during the AAHomecare Legislative Conference held in Washington DC last week. On May 22nd and 23rd, MiraVista, along with other industry stakeholders descended on the hill in an effort to gain support for HR1717 as well as to expose the fatal flaws of both the Competitive Bidding and National Mail Order Programs which will have a profound impact on local economies, small businesses and Medicare seniors. As a part of our visit, which was targeted to SC legislators, we dropped in to the former SC Governor’s office in hopes of securing an appointment. During our brief visit, Jamie Smith (owner of ABC Medical) extended an invitation to Congressman Sanford to discuss in detail how the currently designed competitive bidding program is negatively impacting Durable Medical Equipment providers and Medicare beneficiaries and to give him a first-hand look at our industry. Sanford, being newly sworn in just days before, had limited resources in his Washington office but acknowledged the importance of this issue and accepted the invitation.
The industry will be subject to 45-73% cuts in Medicare fee schedules as a result of the program implementation on July 1, 2013 and Medicare seniors will be subject to limited providers and products which they rely on for their independence. The medical equipment benefit under Medicare accounts for only 2% of the entire Medicare budget. However, during our visit while we acknowledge this presence is small, a senior staffer indicated that the DME industry is ‘one of the most vocal’. Stakeholders are encouraged to contact their congressional members and educate their leaders on the negative impact of the competitive bidding program and the solution that can be found in HR1717.
The visit today by well-known, tea party, Congressman Mark Sanford is a single example that just one voice can make a difference. For information on the sustainable alternative in HR 1717, or how to contact your congressional members visit the AAHomecare Action Center on their website http://www.aahomecare.org
The visit today by well-known, tea party, Congressman Mark Sanford is a single example that just one voice can make a difference. For information on the sustainable alternative in HR 1717, or how to contact your congressional members visit the AAHomecare Action Center on their website http://www.aahomecare.org
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