August Recess Is Here

Published in Government Relations on July 28, 2021

Every year, members of Congress take the end of summer to spend time in their state/districts to hear from their constituent base. This year, the August recess begins August 2 and ends on September 10. Now is the time to reach out to your members of Congress at both the state and federal level to schedule a meeting during the August break. It’s important to build these relationships so HME legislation can move more efficiently through both levels of government.

Check out this video from John Gallagher of VGM’s Government Relations team talking about the importance of the August Recess.

Click here for the Committees of Jurisdiction that John refers to in the video, along with all August Recess toolkit items.

If you want to find and contact your representative, click here to go to VGM Government's website and enter your zip code to get started.

VGM Government is here to help you! Your legislators typically host events to hear their constituents’ concerns. Attending in-person events like town halls is a wonderful use of your time and resources. Visit your federal and state legislators’ websites or call their offices to find out where and when they hold town halls or other local events.

Items you should discuss with your member of Congress

Accessibility to quality services and products to Medicare beneficiaries
The reimbursement rates for HME during the COVID-19 public health emergency remain in place after the PHE is over

VGM Government is here to equip you with the meetings whether they be virtual or in person. They can assist with scheduling meetings with your member of Congress or their staff, offering coaching sessions on how to speak with your legislator, and providing you with concise points that will best get your message across. Visit their website to view the August of Action resources.

Reach out to Emily Harken at 319-830-1578 or Emily.Harken@vgm.com to learn more about opportunities to get involved during the August recess. The sooner we reach out, the more time we have to plan these events and the better chance we have of getting the meeting with the member of Congress themselves. Staff meetings are great too! Typically, the staff members are more knowledgeable in the details of our industry.

If you want to find and contact your representative, click here to go to our website and enter your zip code to get started.

Congressional Meetings in the First Half of 2021

In the past six months, VGM Government has facilitated over 50 congressional meetings with great state associations like MAMES, NEMEP, TEXMEP, ADMEA, and many others. These meetings have provided HME suppliers the opportunity to discuss concerns with reimbursement. Out of the 50+ meetings, 11 have been with new (freshmen) members of Congress.

Meetings from the past six months are shown in this image below:

Congressional Meetings in the First Half of 2021