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07/19/2018

Patients and Case Manager Survey Underway to Evaluate Sole Source Beneficiary Impact

Across the country, health care plans are looking for innovative, cost-effective solutions to meet members’ needs.  However, a developing trend across the payor landscape, particularly in the Medicaid MCO space, is the application of sole source contracts and narrow network arrangements for the provisions of HME and related services.  The HME industry and consumer groups have serious concerns about the shortcomings of such arrangements and the ultimate negative impact it will have on patients and payors alike.  
 
As part of the Industry’s educational efforts to payors, AAHomecare’s Medical Supplies Council is conducting a survey to evaluate its impact on beneficiary access to care.  OAMES executive director Kam Yuricich serves on a subgroup of this council that is working on this issue and helped develop the survey. 

Beneficiaries and case managers in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Texas are invited to take a brief survey to share their experience.  Information from these surveys will be used in outreach with payors to help preserve open access and ensure quality outcomes for individuals requiring HME, supplies, and services. We encourage OAMES members to participate.
 
Additional information about the survey and how suppliers servicing those areas can assist is available here.  To help raise awareness and participation in the survey, suppliers could:

Note, in accordance with HIPAA requirements, suppliers and other providers are prohibited from using customers’ e-mail addresses (or their family caregiver’s e-mail) for this purpose.  Survey responses are requested by August 31st.
 
For additional information on the survey, please contact Ashley Plauché, AAHomecare’s Manager of Government Affairs at ashleyp@aahomecare.org or Kam Yuricich, OAMES executive director at kam@oames.org. 

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