The American Association for Homecare has scheduled a May 21 lobbying fly-in to convince members of Congress to address the various problems that have recently cropped up with the recent contract awards from the first round of competitive bidding.

Given that the round one’s prices are scheduled to go into effect July 1, AAHomecare says the fly-in will benefit from involvement of HME industry stakeholders in urging Congress to halt round one so that program’s issues can be addressed.

Leading up to the fly-in, the association says providers, patients and other segments of the HME landscape should contact members of Congress via phone or letters and visit congressional district offices to ensure their representatives clearly understand how the issue will affect patients and providers.

“We expect all affected groups to participate, including homecare providers, patient organizations, clinical groups, and other stakeholders,” said AAHomecare President Tyler Wilson. “We are also working with the state homecare associations, the buying groups, and others to engage all of the communities affected by the bidding. Because of the sweeping impact of bidding program, all DME providers should recognize that they have a stake in round one.”