Alexis Ward on the power of ‘real wins’ 

WASHINGTON – It’s easy to get frustrated with insufficient reimbursement and coverage, but Alexis Ward, who joined AAHomecare as a senior director of payer relations this week, always applies the “Golden Rule” – even to payers. 

“Treat the payers as you would want to be treated,” she said. “If you met a new friend at work, you wouldn’t want them to just jump right into asking you to donate to the school fundraiser. You would want to spend some time getting to know them and connecting with them as a person.” 

Here’s what Ward, formerly vice president of payer relations for National Seating & Mobility, had to say about what motivates her to keep fighting for increased access to HME and complex rehab products and services. 

HME News: It looks like you’ve been in the complex rehab industry the bulk of your career – how did you get started? 

Alexis Ward: My mother worked in health care her entire career, during my younger years managing DME and HME companies in Central Texas. The last HME company she worked for had started doing some complex rehab. She and their main salesperson, who also uses a complex wheelchair, found that the market for CRT was under-served, and they started a new company solely focused on complex rehab. I started working there as a part-time job while I was still in college, and when I graduated, I began to take on more responsibility, as well as find the work interesting and rewarding.   

HME: Why did you take this opportunity at AAHomecare? 

Ward: One word – advocacy. Advocacy requires you to be a teacher, a counselor, a champion, a listener, a marketing creator. It means boredom is rare, and wins are truly appreciated. 

HME: What do you bring to the table at AAHomecare? 

Ward: I have a greater understanding of the roles that providers play in providing complex rehab solutions for people with disabilities, which in turn means that I can connect the dots easier when educating people who are unaware of the importance of CRT providers. I have a knack for connecting people, which has served me well. 

HME: When you look back at your career so far, what’s a win that sticks out and why?  

Ward: I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the significant recent win of Medicare’s decision to cover power seat elevation. That win is unimaginably huge for individuals who can, and now will, benefit from having access to that technology. The industry efforts that occurred to support the ITEM Coalition’s request for Medicare to review that were numerous. While that is the most recent example, I have so many, and when I am asked a question like this what first comes to mind is an almost slideshow of the many faces of kids and adults, alike, who I personally witnessed receiving their wheelchair or other mobility device. Those are the real wins. 

HME: How do you see the industry’s relationships with payers evolving? 

Ward: There will be changes in the delivery model, things like vertical integration and a surge in the use of third-party administrators. This will require our industry to focus even more on working in coordination with the payers so that we can demonstrate the pain points and benefits of certain service models, in addition to the continuing need to push for sustainable rates.