AARP’s New Innovation Focus Could Bolster Aging-In-Place

With a new leader helming its Enterprise Innovation division, AARP is making moves to a be a bigger player in this arena, including by creating new products through in-house “startups.” The innovations being developed by AARP could boost aging in place by helping people manage chronic conditions such as diabetes. After conceiving of and leading […]

M&A and Financing Newsflash: Heal Raises $20 Million

Heal Lands $20 Million in Venture Funding Los Angeles-based Heal has raised $20 million in venture funding, bringing the med-tech startup’s total capital raised to more than $69 million. Heal and its digital platforms assist patients in booking physician house calls, often for urgent care and routine illness visits. Heal has helped deliver more than 60,000 house calls […]

Amada Tackles Home Care for Athletes with NFL Alumni Partnership

Amada Senior Care—led by a former Chicago Bears football player—has converted on a deal to become sponsor and exclusive in-home care provider for NFL Alumni, an association of about 5,000 former National Football League players, coaches, staffers, cheerleaders and family members. For San Clemente, California-based Amada, the recently announced deal is an opportunity to further legitimize […]

Home Health Ready to Fight Pre-Claim Review’s Dreaded Return

Stakeholders throughout the home health industry are gearing up for another battle over Pre-Claim Review Demonstration (PCRD), a controversial Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) initiative aimed at reducing fraud and improper billing. PCRD asks providers to send in claims earlier in the care process to ensure they are meeting requirements. In August 2016, CMS rolled out […]

Bayada Supports Bill to Ease Caregiver Parking Headaches, Costs

Home care workers in New Jersey could soon find it easier to park when visiting clients, and home care companies could save money currently being spent on fines, fees and other parking-related expenses. Those costs can be considerable. A Bayada Home Health Care office in Hudson County paid out about $11,000 in 2017 related to […]

Fraud Watch: Michigan Agency Owner Guilty in $8 Million Fraud Case

Michigan Agency Owner Pleads Guilty in $8 Million Fraud Scheme Zahir Shah, 48, of West Bloomfield, Michigan, pleaded guilty to fraud charges for his role in a scheme involving approximately $8 million in fraudulent Medicare claims for home health services procured through illegal kickbacks, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Shah pleaded guilty to […]

CMS Floats New Version of Pre-Claim Review for Home Health

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking public input on a new proposal that would bring back the controversial pre-claim review process for home health Medicare claims. Under the new program, home health agencies (HHAs) could choose to undergo either pre-claim or post-payment reviews, or to forgo reviews but take a 25% […]

Home Health Providers Excel at Keeping Patients Active

When it comes to the performance of the health care system overall, the United States is a mixed bag, but there’s some good news on the home health front. Some states—Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Vermont and Utah, in particular—are excelling at providing quality, affordable health care to their residents, a new report has found. Others—Louisiana, Oklahoma […]