VGM Sponsors Shut Down the Switchboard" Event on Dec. 2nd

Let's Eliminate this Restrictive Bidding Program Once and For All!

Call Wednesday, December 2nd -

Phone numbers, sponsors & talking points are listed below



Congressman Wittman, Perriello and Wolf have said "YES"!  Call them and say Thank You!

As for the other EIGHT, Call for them to say YES to H.R. 3790

We believe that the DME industry has what it takes in the fight to eliminate the restrictive bidding program, and we don't want to lose momentum to apathy now!  H.R. 3790, legislation to repeal competitive bidding, started off by gaining an incredible amount of support early on.  In the last few weeks, however, we've noticed that industry seems to have lost a bit of its firepower.  It's time to get that momentum back on our side and eliminate this program once and for all!
 
Wednesday, Dec. 2, VGM will be conducting a "Shut Down the Switchboard" event. John Gallagher, VP, Government Relations, VGM, will host the live webcast, and he needs your support.
 
The purpose of "Shut Down the Switchboard" is to flood the congressional phone lines in an attempt to garner as much support for H.R. 3790 as possible in a single afternoon.  When properly delivered the facts, our legislators have in large part been very supportive of this legislation which not only eliminates the program, but does so in a budget neutral manner by offering a pay-for.  The bill currently has 76 co-sponsors, a long way from where it needs to be to ensure inclusion in a larger health care package.  With your help, we can ultimately reach the 218 co-sponsors needed for majority support.
 
Should our industry fail to achieve greater than 50% support for H.R. 3790, NCB will move forward.  Providers in and around the nine round one competitive bidding areas are currently going through the bidding process, and stand to learn their fate by next summer, with the likelihood that approximately 90% of local bidding entities will not be offered contracts and contracted suppliers will face cuts of greater than 30% below the 2008 allowables.  Round two bidding entities, likely including 91 additional bidding areas, are to bid in 2011 and learn their fate as a Medicare providers shortly thereafter.  Providers in non-competitively bid areas also face the inevitable in that bid rates will ultimately be spread to non-bid areas.  This program affects each and every provider, beneficiary and association, and we need to stop it NOW.
 
"Shut Down the Switchboard" events have been extremely successful in the past, and will again feature a competition between states.  The goal is to see that 50,000 calls are made.  We need your support, and ask that you, your patients, employees, family, and friends all participate.  Providers will post online the number of calls made that are attributable to their facility, and totals for each state will be posted for all to see.  Join your fellow state association members in seeing that our state leads the pack!
 
Wednesday, December 2
1:00 ? 5:00 p.m. CST
Call-in:  (888) 264-1979
Call I.D.:  44470618
Webcast:  Click Here

Click here for current list of HR 3790 co-sponsors

Click here to view HR 3790

For background and Talking Points click here

Press Release to view click here