This week, Home Health Care News readers were curious to learn how providers can reduce COPD hospital readmissions and what agencies are doing in response to the U.S. Department of Labor overtime rule. Readers also tuned in to see why an insurance company cut eight home health providers from its commercial and Medicare Advantage networks for 2016.
HHCN will be observing Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 18, but we will return to the office and our regular posting schedule on Jan. 19.
Most Read
Insurer Cuts 8 Home Health Providers—Insurance company Highmark has shed eight Pennsylvania home health agencies from its commercial and Medicare Advantage networks for 2016, a move that reflects insurers’ push to partner with the best performing agencies.
How Home Health Can Slash COPD Hospitalizations—Forward-thinking home care organizations are boosting outcomes and reducing readmissions by creating programs specifically for certain conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). One hospital-owned home care organization has even reported cutting its COPD readmission rate by 50% in one month.
Providers Cut Hours, Raise Fees to Handle DOL Rule—Home care agencies are cutting caregiver hours and rescheduling case loads in order to avoid paying overtime as mandated by the U.S. Department of Labor. The results are declining profits and increased caregiver turnover, according to survey findings from Home Care Pulse, a firm focused on research centered on satisfaction and quality assurance within the home care industry.
Weekend Read
Home Care for Seniors: a Win-Win—This article from U.S. News & World Report profiles home care companies, adult day programs and other services for homebound American seniors. The author sums up her feelings about home care for seniors in one sentence: “What’s not to like?”
Written by Mary Kate Nelson
Companies featured in this article:
