By the time you receive this issue, congress will be back in session after its August recess. We will soon see if the effort many of you made to contact your legislators while they were home will pay off in Medicare legislation that does not burden the industry with provisions such as competitive bidding for DME.

As this issue went to press, the American Association for Homecare was hopeful—especially since its open letter to Congress on home health care issues was signed by 3,500 people in just over 3 weeks. But we can do better. This magazine alone reaches 14,000.

Now I can guess what you are thinking. Grassroots lobbying is not easy. With a business to run, who has time to sit and write letters, call legislators, and attend meetings?

The answer is you do! At Medtrade in Atlanta, Dealer/Provider magazine and VNU Expositions will invite you to take a look at grassroots lobbying in the 21st century. Thanks to wonderful resources provided by this industry’s manufacturers, state and national associations, and buying groups, contacting your elected representatives and letting them know how you feel have never been easier.

To prove the point, we are bringing all of these resources together in a 1,500-square-foot area in the Medtrade exhibit hall itself. Stop by Grassroots Central for just 10 minutes while you are visiting exhibitors’ booths and you can:

• Email your Congressional representatives and local media outlets a pre-written letter. (Or your own letter, if you have a little more time.)
• Pick up legislative updates and position papers from the American Association for Homecare, which is endorsing this event.
• Get information about your state association and your local issues.
• See the premier of MesaNET, a free communications program for state associations.
• Pick up your “I Fight for Home Health Care” sticker and enter a prize drawing.

In addition, Grassroots Central will include state association panel discussions at 2 pm on October 9 and October 10 that you will not want to miss. And a virtual who’s who of manufacturers’ governmental affairs experts are stopping by to answer your questions. (See “Medtrade’s Grassroots Central Encourages Political Involvement” on page 19.)

With issues ranging from competitive bidding to average wholesale price-based reimbursement changes to Medicaid cuts, we can no longer afford to sit on the sidelines and let powerful people and forces outside the home health care industry determine its future. You owe it to yourself and your business to take at least 10 minutes to stop by Grassroots Central—located “The Medtrade Meeting Place” in Hall B5 at the end of the 5000 aisle—and remind those legislators what you, as a voter, want.

Lena Lindahl
llindahl@medpubs.com