What Home-Based Care Agencies Should Know About The Independent Contractor Proposed Rule

The independent-contractor pendulum in home-based care could be swinging back in favor of pro-union policies. Providers should take note of potential changes coming down the pike. For instance, there are currently proposed changes that would have an impact on the test used to determine whether someone is an independent contractor or an employee. Those changes […]

DOJ Highlights Multiple Home Health-Related Fraud Cases in July

Home health enforcement efforts have been on the rise in 2021, especially over the past couple of months. There have been developments with at least two multi-million-dollar fraud schemes, with the watchdog arm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) also releasing findings from a large hospice-related audit. On July 15, federal […]

Texas Physician Found Guilty of $16M Home Health Scheme; Pennsylvania Provider Accused of ‘Sham Staffing’

A Texas-based physician has been found guilty for taking part in a $16 million Medicare scheme. On Oct. 7, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that, after a six-day trial, Dr. Yolanda Hamilton was convicted of a single count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to solicit and receive health care […]

Labor Department Cracks Down on Home Care Providers

Federal watchdogs continue to ramp up oversight of home care companies for minimum wage and overtime pay violations, a Wednesday report from Bloomberg Law suggests. Meanwhile, caregiver registries are creating uncertainty as to whether they should be considered employers. Over the past few months, several home care companies across the U.S. have been met with […]

New DOL Employment Guidelines Should Put Home Care Registries on Notice

The U.S. Department of Labor has updated guidance that its field staff will use in investigating home care registries to determine whether they are directly employing workers. It is a “longstanding position” of the DOL that the typical home care registry does not directly employ caregivers, according to the July 13 bulletin. However, registries become […]

How Trump, Clinton Ignore the ‘United States of Home Health Aides’

While this year’s presidential election has moved far beyond what may be considered normal for a campaign season, the way politicians discuss labor markets still doesn’t give due credit to the growing home health care workforce and other industries, according to a recent story from New York Magazine. Simply, the presidential nominees still focus predominantly […]

Home Care Becomes No. 1 Target for Labor Lawsuits

The home health industry has been hammered with new requirements over the last few years, particularly when it comes to labor laws. And even as providers scramble to comply with new regulations, the number of lawsuits against them has soared. Between new overtime requirements, higher wage rates and salary exemption changes, the home health industry […]

New Overtime Rule May Pose Little Threat to Home Care

A new wage rule that increases overtime benefits for millions of American workers is expected to put some wage pressures on employers across many industries, but how much it will impact home health care is still up for debate. The Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued its new overtime salary exemption limits that will become effective December […]

Editor’s Picks: COPD Readmissions, DOL Rule

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 […]