Home Care Group Responds to HHS Secretary’s Resignation

Kathleen Sebelius recently announced her resignation as secretary of the Department of Health & Human Services following the end of open enrollment for—and botched rollout of—the health insurance exchanges created under the Affordable Care Act. On April 11, President Barack Obama nominated Sylvia Mathews Burwell to take over the position. Burwell is the current director of […]

New Medicare Policies Threaten Home Health, Hospice Providers

Smaller home health and hospice providers will struggle to survive in the face of new policies and proposals that could deeply impact both industries, says Healthcare Market Resources in a market research letter that points to growth as a solution.  The home health and hospice industries are threatened by several policy efforts underway or in […]

OIG Reviews DME Competitive Bidding Program

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) generally operated within the guidelines and Federal requirements for the competitive bidding Round 1 rebid program for durable medical equipment suppliers, the Department of Health & Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General found in a recent report.  “We determined that CMS generally selected DMEPOS (durable medical equipment, […]

10 Most Expensive States for Home Health Services

The cost of home health aide services varies across the country, and several states have much higher median annual costs than the national median of about $45,000, according to Genworth’s 2014 Cost of Care Survey. Long-term care costs are expensive across the board, with private and semi-private skilled nursing rooms typically costing the most on an annual […]

Slower Rate of Growth in Home Care Costs: Genworth

While long-term care costs are growing across the board, the rate of growth for home care isn’t as fast as for institutional care, finds the latest Genworth report on senior care prices.  The bad news: care costs are steadily rising across the board. The good news: home care costs aren’t growing quite as fast as […]

Stanley Healthcare Launches Widespread Release of New Senior Care Solutions

Stanley Healthcare’s 11,000-plus long-term care network now has access to new product offerings previously on limited release through the senior care tech giant’s integration and distribution agreement with digital health solutions provider BAM Labs.  The first week of April marks Stanley Healthcare’s general release of two products the company says are revolutionary: the Patient Safety Monitor, […]

Home Care Group Plans CMS Lawsuit Over Home Health Rule

A home care industry trade group is exploring the possibility of filing suit against the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services if it goes forward with implementing home health care face-to-face requirements under a health care reform provision. The National Association for Home Care & Hospice argues that more guidance and clarity is needed from […]

Home Medical Equipment Industry to Reach $12.6 Billion by 2018

The U.S. home medical equipment industry is expected to be worth $12.6 billion by 2018, according to a new report that points to a rise in telemedicine devices as a key growth component.  Demand for HME will rise 8.2% annually for the next four years, says RnRMarketResearch.com, spurred by advances in the technological capabilities of equipment such as […]

Industry Group Commends Congress on Home Health Action

Congressional leaders are considering a potential solution to Medicare home health benefits reductions implemented under the Affordable Care Act, to the great relief of home health industry groups including the Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare.   The ACA calls for a 14% cut to Medicare home health funding in the next four years, which began […]

Texas Home Care Group Voices Concerns to Congress

A Texas home care and hospice group traveled to Washington, D.C. this week to voice its concerns to Congress regarding the affordability of care services. The Texas Association for Home Care & Hospice joined other industry providers from across the country who are participating in a nationwide appeal for congressional support. “Home care allows families […]