COVER SERIES
Making Their
VOICE HEARD
Homecare advocates stand up for what they believe in—and help the whole industry
These are phrases we hear over and over again from owners, employees and others in this industry. It’s easy to feel that things are hopeless, especially in the face of dramatic change.
But there’s another constant, and that’s the people who show up to make a difference. Industry advocates use their voices to explain the value of providing care and equipment in the home, speaking on behalf of everyone who works in homecare.
There are dozens of them working at the local, state and national level. And it’s not as hard as it looks for anyone to join their ranks. In this special feature, we share a few of their stories—and some tips if you’re inspired.
David Gelbard: The CMS initiative that a DRLS (Documentation Requirements Lookup Service) documentation requirement lookup service—at the point of care, regardless of what payer the patient has—will create transparency for the clinician and the supplier in determining what clinical data elements were required by the payer. And in creating that transparency, a patient (and their clinician) can know when they're sitting inside the office whether or not that product is going to be covered by their health plan. So now, as it's moved into the 21st Century Cures Act and we're moving
toward January 2027, what's really exciting is that in the final rule is an interoperability requirement where electronic medical records (EMRs) and payers will expose through an application programming interface (API) the clinical data and the data required to make a policy decision or a coverage decision. By enabling that data to be transparent, it will accelerate the ordering process, and ultimately tell the patients, the provider and the clinician whether or not that service is going to be covered, denied or requires more medical information.
Advocacy Tips How to take on the task yourself
Inspired to dive into advocacy? Don’t worry—you don’t need to do it alone. A great first place to start is with your local, state or regional association, (https://www.homecaremag.com/resources/associations) whether that’s focused on HME, home health or other segments of the homecare arena. Most have annual meetings and some host more frequent educational sessions and trips to visit state lawmakers and educate them on the industry’s workings and needs.
National associations are also a wonderful place to turn. Online, they provide lists of legislative priorities and messaging points like this (https://allianceforcareathome.org/wp-content/uploads/Alliance_Policy_Agenda-1.pdf) and this (https://www.votervoice.net/AAHomecare/Campaigns). For members, they go farther with tools like letter templates and position papers—and also host Washington visiting sessions where they give you on-the-ground training to meet with your senators and representatives on Capitol Hill. Or invite your state or national legislators to visit your organization! A facility tour can highlight the importance of what you do in your state or Congressional district.
zinkevych -AdobeStock.com
