Humana Beefs Up In-Home Services with Acquisition

Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) has acquired Your Home Advantage, a multi-state provider of nurse practitioner in-home visits, in a move that highlights the growing importance of home care to one of the nation’s most prominent health care organizations.

Known as one of the largest insurers to specialize in privately managed Medicare health plans, Louisville-based Humana has in recent years built up its clinical capabilities, and in particular its in-home services to assess and meet beneficiary care needs.

In 2011, it acquired home care provider SeniorBridge Family Companies Inc. for an undisclosed sum. This arm of the company is now known as Humana at Home. The acquisition of Your Home Advantage, also for an undisclosed amount, will enable Humana to build on this line of services.

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“The capabilities that Your Home Advantage brings us will help Humana build on the significant clinical results that Humana At Home has achieved for our Medicare Advantage members living with chronic conditions,” said Eric C. Rackow, M.D., Humana At Home president, in a written statement. “Together we can foster a broader care platform that enables us to provide members more beneficial health-related services in the comfort of their homes. By shifting care to the home, we’re better able to meet member needs as well as improve clinical outcomes.”

YHA is based in Deerfield Beach, Fla., and provides services in multiple states, primarily Florida, Texas, Georgia and Missouri. It already serves Humana beneficiaries predominantly, with 70% of the company’s 2014 revenues coming from Humana subsidiaries and joint ventures.

Insurers such as Humana increasingly are utilizing in-home assessments to help seniors better manage chronic conditions, which can improve outcomes and save money by preventing costly hospital stays. But the practice also has raised red flags for the federal government, which is concerned that the visits are being used mainly to juice reimbursements by finding additional diagnoses.

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Written by Tim Mullaney

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