AAHomecare promotes Williard

WASHINGTON – AAHomecare has promoted Laura Williard to senior vice president of payer relations. “When we brought Laura on board to launch our payer relations program, I was very confident we were making a smart hire—but her contributions have proven to be even more significant than I expected,” said Tom Ryan, AAHomecare president & CEO. “Laura has made AAHomecare a force in advocating for HME at the state level and has increased our industry’s capacity to influence reimbursement rates, regulations, and access to care for patients served by Medicaid and a wide range of major non-Federal payers. Our payer relations work is an absolute success story, and Laura Williard is at the center of it.” Since joining AAHomecare in May 2016, Williard has focused on educating and connecting HME leaders to develop strategy and effective advocacy practices when engaging state legislators, Medicaid directors, and administrators at managed care plans and private insurance payers. One of her most notable achievements was her efforts in 2019 to convince nearly 30 states to forgo or limit potential Medicaid rate cuts stemming from provisions in the CURES Act. “I am gratified by the trust and support that so many people have given me to build an effective payer relations program for our industry,” said Williard. “I have been fortunate to have such remarkable expertise, strategic thinking, and passion for HME for me to draw on from our Payer Relations Council and other leaders in the industry. When you get to work with sharp people who have a strong sense of shared purpose, that’s a recipe for success.”