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08/07/2019

Laura Williard of AAHomecare Appointed to OAMES Board of Directors

 

At OAMES' quarterly Board of Directors meeting on July 17, Laura Williard, vice president of payer relations with the American Association for Homecare, was appointed to the Board as AAHomecare Liaision.  In this role, Laura will provide guidance to OAMES leaders on payer issues developing both in our states and at the national level with managed care plans, Medicare advantage, commercial payers and state Medicaid programs. 

OAMES executive director Kam Yuricich states "Laura is a very influential addition to our advocacy team on payer policy. She has worked closely with OAMES over the past two years on two major Medicaid issues: 1) implementation of the federal Cures Act and 2) policy and payment challenges with Ohio's Medicaid managed care plans.  Her incredible industry knowledge, true professionalism, and unwavering tenacity for the HME community make her a powerful and positive force in our discussions with state regulators and legislators".

Laura testified May 9 before the Ohio Senate Finance Health and Medicaid Subcommittee on House Bill 166, Ohio's operating budget bill, advocating for an amendment proposed by OAMES to reform the HME benefit administered by Ohio's contracted Medicaid managed care plans.  While the amendment did not pass, a senior-level meeting was held soon after at the request of the Ohio Department of Medicaid's Director to discuss the association's concerns outlined in our testimony and begin addressing them.  Laura returned to Ohio to also attend this meeting and share her valuable perspective creating a compelling state-national partnership for our state officials that did not go unnoticed.

OAMES is grateful to Laura for her service to the association in this official Board capacity and to AAHomecare leadership for supporting this level of involvement in HME state/regional associations.  OAMES is fully devoted to further enhancing the HME community's vital role in the delivery of quality healthcare to Ohio's citizens and this is a major step forward in that effort.  For more information about OAMES payer relations activities, please contact OAMES executive director Kam Yuricich at kam@oames.org

 

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