Must-Read News: Medicare’s Dire Financial State, Death Doulas Council

Catch up on the latest in home health and home care by checking out our must-read news from across the web. Keep reading to see our top HHCN stories rom the last week.

Medicare’s financial problems have reportedly gotten worse, and the program is now expected to be broke in eight years, or three years earlier than previously forecast. The news of Medicare’s dire financial standing is particularly troubling for Tennessee residents, about 20% of whom are dependent on Medicare.

The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) has jumped on the death doulas bandwagon, announcing the formation of a special council to provide its members, affiliated organizations and the public with information about their role. The long-term goal of the new council is to further incorporate end-of-life doulas into care delivery, either as agency staff, specifically trained volunteers or as independent contractors, according to NHPCO.

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The looming caregiver shortage has meant providers have had to get creative regarding how they care for patients. In some cases, that’s even meant enlisting the help of caregiving, social robots, such as RUDY, a robot designed by a northern Virginia startup. The social robot market was valued at $288.2 million in 2017, according to a new report. By 2023, the market is expected to grow to $699.2 million.

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HHCN sat down to talk business, Medicare Advantage opportunity and office culture with Bayada Home Health Care’s David Baiada, who took over the CEO role from his father, J. Mark Baiada, about 10 months ago.

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Amedisys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMED) bought back $178 million worth of stock from global investment firm KKR (NYSE: KKR). The transaction serves as a direct reminder of today’s competitive M&A landscape, which analysts say is hotter than ever across the board.

ClearCare, a home care software company that raised $60 million in funding in 2016, is aiming to better facilitate the connection between health systems and payers to home care providers with a new, interoperable platform, Home Connect API. Comfort Keepers says it’s working with the company to leverage the technology and forge new pathways in managed care.

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