An example of a social media post included in the toolkit.
In the battle against Medicare competitive bidding as it’s currently defined in the home health proposed rule, the American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) is enlisting every stakeholder it can find — including the patients and families whose health and lives will be acutely impacted by the program.
A new toolkit created and launched by AAHomecare offers education and support for these end users as they participate in the public comment period that ends Aug. 29.
“The toolkit empowers suppliers, manufacturers and partner organizations to educate and activate a critical but often under-utilized group: end users whose access to care is directly on the line,” AAHomecare said in an Aug. 13 press release. The toolkit includes a comment guide “with clear instructions and talking points”; educational resources to explain the potential impact on consumers and families; and examples of email and social media posts to advocate for Medicare beneficiaries.
“AAHomecare is working closely with allied consumer organizations who share our deep concerns on the dangerous provisions of the proposed rule,” said Ashley Plauché, senior director of brand marketing for AAHomecare. “The toolkit breaks down more than 260 pages [of] regulatory language into clear, actionable guidance to help end users understand what’s at stake and why their voices are urgently needed in this fight.”
“This is an all-hands-on-deck moment,” added Tom Ryan, president/CEO of AAHomecare. “We must activate every corner of the HME community – including the voices of end users and their families – to stop these provisions that would devastate access to care and dismantle the HME infrastructure that makes home-based care possible.”
