Since the news surfaced Tuesday that the Department of Justice had opened an antitrust investigation into UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), additional questions have bubbled up. Namely, those questions surround the home health provider Amedisys Inc. (Nasdaq: AMED), which agreed to be acquired by UnitedHealth Group’s Optum in June of last year. Will that deal be […]
Amedisys Inc.
In 2023, the decreasing influence of COVID-19 did not mitigate the overall operating pressures home health providers were forced to face. In the new year, there still remains plenty of opportunity, but much to work through to tap into that opportunity. More proposed rate cuts to home health reimbursement are expected from the Centers for […]
Staffing shortages, rate cuts and Medicare Advantage penetration will continue to be trends in the home health market in 2024. Those aren’t new. What is new, however, is how providers plan to combat the issues that stem from those trends. Home health leaders are focused on mitigating margin compression, utilizing more technology, leveraging artificial intelligence, […]
Hiring for nurses, caregivers, aides and other roles in home health and home care is extremely challenging. Between keeping up with rising wages due to inflation and the cost of living, to offering adequate training and education to new hires, recruitment and retention is a constant battle for providers. One area that has risen to […]
Home health providers’ battle for fair reimbursement from Medicare Advantage (MA) plans will be a “generational battle,” and not one they will win overnight. But, at least for larger home health providers, their strategies in that battle are much more definitive than they were even a few years ago. Luke James, the president of VitalCaring, […]
The first 90 days of a caregiver’s journey at a home-based care company are more than an initiation period. They are a make-or-break window where both long-term employees and quick turnovers are made. Providers always had an inkling that was the case. Now, more complex data tracking is proving that, forcing providers to dig their […]
A class action lawsuit has been filed against UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) in Minnesota. That lawsuit pertains to two issues that home health providers have long griped over: algorithms dictating care, and conveners’ role in between payers and providers. The lawsuit follows an investigation from STAT News, which alleged that UnitedHealth Group – through naviHealth […]
After the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its CY 2024 final payment rule Wednesday, home health providers found themselves in a position they know all too well. Is a 0.8% aggregate payment increase better than the 2.2% decrease that was proposed? Of course. Was the rule, in its totality, effective in […]
Amedisys Inc. (Nasdaq: AMED) continues to make significant process in its high-acuity care business through its subsidiary Contessa Health. The company posted its third-quarter earnings late Tuesday, which highlighted 35% year-over-year growth in the high-acuity care segment. Overall, Amedisys admitted 580 high-acuity patients in the quarter in 11 JV markets. The high-acuity care segment, as […]
The discussion around home health provider-Medicare Advantage (MA) plan relationships has gotten tiring. But is it over the top? I don’t think so. Right when I think I’ve written about the topic too much, I’m reminded again by a home health provider just how important it is. And if you don’t believe me, here’s National […]