Patient Videos Demonstrate Dangers of Competitive Bidding
VGM produces, distributes videos of patients describing importance of HME and the threat CMS’s bid program poses.
- By David Kopf
- Aug 20, 2010
To help demonstrate the importance of home medical equipment in patients’ lives, VGM Group, Inc., has produced three short videos featuring consumers of home medical equipment talking about their conditions, equipment and providers, including the devastating effects competitive bidding will have on their lives.
The three pieces may be accessed on YouTube at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4XJ6gnjrpw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zdKMGyFNbM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aisZzGDSJcU
“VGM is encouraging our members, advocacy groups and friends of the HME industry to download the videos and use them when they visit with legislators, service clubs, senior citizens’ organizations and any other group they can think of,” says Jim Phillips, VGM chief operating officer. “These need to be seen, and it’s our hope that they will ‘go viral.’”
Those attending the 2010 Heartland Conference received a sneak peek of the videos, which feature Ms. Wheelchair Iowa 2009, a COPD patient and a young man with an advanced form of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
As the industry fights for the repeal of “competitive” bidding, Phillips notes that users of HME and associated services are best suited to tell the stories about how important quality equipment and local providers are.
The videos will also be used by VGM Advocacy as it reaches out to consumer groups. VGM is planning to create a video library that can be accessed by all interested parties.
About the Author
David Kopf is the Editor of HME Business.