Advocacy Group Debuts Anti-Bid Vid
New video features HME users speaking out against competitive bidding.
- By David Kopf
- Mar 31, 2011
People For Quality Care (PFQC), an advocacy group that educates people with disabilities, their families and Medicare beneficiaries about Medicare’s competitive bidding program, has released a new video, “9 Powerful Minutes,” that offers personal stories of the program's impact.
An anthology of videotaped interviews with users of home medical equipment, the film can be viewed at http://www.peopleforqualitycare.org/Resources/Personal-Stories.php.
A copy of the DVD was personally delivered to Sen. Tom Harkin’s (D-Iowa) staff during the American Association for Homecare Washington Conference earlier this month by one of the video’s featured advocates, Teri Lynn Jorgensen of Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Jorgensen, who was born with spina bifida and is a radio station program director, said she believes she was given a loud voice so she could advocate for people with disabilities. Her significant other is serving with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan.
“This video was done by amateurs, using a simple camera,” said Beth Cox, communications and marketing director for PFQC, who accompanied Jorgensen on her visit to Sen. Harkin’s office. “We’d like to encourage other providers, advocates and caregivers around the country to use it as a model and contact PFQC for assistance in organizing similar efforts in their areas.”
It is important for advocates to speak out in both current competitive bidding areas and areas that will be in the future, to convince legislators nationwide to actively support H.R 1041 and create a corresponding Senate companion bill, added Kelly Turner, director of the PFQC director.
“Legislators need to hear the whole story, which includes the impact that competitive bidding will have on patients and providers,” Turner said. “Videos should be strategic, and focus on messages that matter to individual legislators. Any assistance that providers can give to connect PFQC with patients who are willing to speak out is very valuable.”
PFQC will travel to the Dallas and Kansas City metropolitan areas to film advocates in upcoming months.
About the Author
David Kopf is the Editor of HME Business.