August of Action Continues: Key Meetings with Sen. John Thune, Chairman Jason Smith, and Rep. Randy Feenstra

Published in Government Relations on September 03, 2024

As the August recess draws to a close, there are still ample opportunities to engage with your legislators before the upcoming election. Throughout October and leading up to the election, legislators will be back in their home states, providing a perfect window to connect with them before the end of the year. 

Below is a recap of the key meetings held over the past weeks. The consistent message from these discussions has been the urgent need for H.R.5555/S.1294 to find a legislative vehicle for passage before the year’s end. 

August 19: Pat Naeger and Rose Schafhauser of MAMES organized an event with Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Jason Smith (MO-8). Mike “Ike” Isaacson from VGM attended as well. The event saw a significant turnout of DME suppliers and other DMEPOS industry representatives. Special thanks to Patrick Naeger for organizing this crucial event and establishing contact with a key legislator for rural communities. 

^{August 22: MAMES members, DME suppliers from South Dakota, and industry leaders from VGM (John Gallagher and Emily Harken), AAHomecare (Jay Witter), and Pride (Seth Johnson) met with Sen. John Thune in Sioux Falls, SD. Sen. Thune, a long-time supporter of the DMEPOS industry, heard attendees emphasize the critical importance of passing DME legislation (S.1294) in an end-of-year package.} 

^{August 28: Choice Medical of Ames, IA, hosted a meeting with Rep. Randy Feenstra (IA-4). John Gallagher and Emily Harken from VGM also attended this event. This meeting provided an excellent opportunity to update Rep. Feenstra on the discussions from previous events. As a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Feenstra has strong working relationships with both Republicans and Democrats.} 

These meetings are timely, reinforcing the importance of passing DMEPOS legislation and improving reimbursement rates. Smith, Thune, and Feenstra have all committed to collaborating with each other and other key legislators to maintain momentum for the passage of H.R.5555/S.1294 in an end-of-year package. 

A heartfelt thank you to MAMES, all the DME suppliers, and industry representatives who attended these events. We remain hopeful that these summer meetings will lead to the successful passage of DME legislation by the end of the year. 

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4. vgm government