Care Workforce is More Educated, But Wages Remain Stagnant

The care workforce, including senior care in the home, is in high demand, and workers are becoming more educated and experienced in their careers. Compared to past decades, they’re becoming older, more diverse and increasingly male, too. While the dynamics of the care workforce continue to shift, low and falling wages may be holding back […]

Fraud Watch: Caris to Pay $8.5 Million in False Claims Settlement

Caris Settles False Claims Act Lawsuit for $8.5 Million Caris Healthcare, L.P. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Caris Healthcare, LLC, have agreed to pay $8.5 million to settle allegations they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting false claims and retaining overpayments for patients who were ineligible for the Medicare hospice benefit because they were […]

Rhode Island Secures Rate Escalators for Medicaid Home Care Program

Home care providers in the state of Rhode Island have secured a much-needed Medicaid rate increase for the home care and hospice program. The 2019 state budget includes a 10% unencumbered increase for Medicaid fee-for-service personal care attendant services and a 29% increase for Medicaid FFS skilled nursing, therapeutic care and hospice, both effective July 1, […]

NY Times: Humana Wants to ‘Own the Home’

Insurance giant Humana (NYSE: HUM) is about to become the nation’s largest hospice provider. Specifically, Humana is acquiring a stake in the home health and hospice business of Kindred Healthcare (NYSE: KND) as part of a joint venture with two private equity firms. In addition to Kindred, Humana is buying hospice provider Curo for $1.4 billion, […]

Must-Read News: Half of Visiting Nurses Experienced Harassment

Happy Monday, Home Health Care News readers. See what headlines caught our eye and keep reading to see our top posts from last week. First up, a survey from Japan revealed that more than half of all visiting nurses have experienced some sort of harassment when going into patients’ homes. When asked whether they had experienced […]

Walgreens Teams Up With Humana in Senior Care Clinics

Insurance company Humana (NYSE: HUM) is partnering up with pharmacy retail business Walgreens Boots Alliance in a new pilot deal to operate senior-focused primary care clinics. The deal will establish the clinics inside two Walgreens stores in Kansas City, Missouri, operated by Partners in Primary Care, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Humana. The venture could also […]

Candid Conversations Reveal Home Health is a Top Investment Target

Health care provider organizations are looking to make more investments in home health compared to other service lines, according to a recent report. As the health care system pushes toward value-based care over traditional fee-for-service models, 44% of health care organizations surveyed said they’d invest most in home health care, the report, Candid Conversations on Elder […]

Home Health Agency Wins Payment Fight With CMS in ZPIC Audit

A home health agency will be paid for services following a court win that prevents the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) from withholding and recouping payments—at least temporarily. A judge granted the home health agency’s temporary restraining order motion in the case, Family Rehab., Inc. v. Azar, which will temporarily ensure payments are not […]

Hospices Taking on a Bigger Role in the Opioid Crisis Response

The hospice industry has made it well known it can play a bigger part in addressing the national opioid crisis, but the role of hospices are playing may already be broader than some think. Hospice organizations are frequently acting as a first line of support for families and loved ones of those lost to addiction […]