CMS Nixes Mandatory Cardiac Bundles, Changes CJR Model

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has finalized the cancellation of the mandatory hip fracture and cardiac bundled payment models, and in the same move, also implemented changes to the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) Model. Specifically, CMS is reducing the number of mandatory geographic areas participating in the CJR model, from […]

Alexa Pilot Explores Benefits of Voice-Activated Home Health

“Hey, Alexa, what time should I take my medication today?” This exchange with Amazon’s digital personal service assistant, Alexa, may soon be commonplace for older adults who wish to age in place, thanks to a pilot study conducted by Dublin, Ireland-based Accenture (NYSE: ACN), a global management consulting firm that provides services in technology, strategy […]

EVV Provision Leaves Home Health in Open Vs. Closed Dilemma

Home health care agencies were hit by another regulation last year, when President Obama signed the 21st Century Cures Act into law prior to leaving office. While the Act brought forth a number of developments for innovations and advancements in patient care, it also required home health agencies to comply with statewide electronic systems. While progressive in nature, […]

CMS Will Not Delay Home Health CoPs

Despite giving agencies a reprieve this past summer by delaying the implementation of the new home health  Conditions of Participation (CoPs), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) remains headstrong in upholding its effective date of January 13, 2018—despite not issuing a final version of Interpretive Guidelines. With no guidelines, industry stakeholders have been […]

Pittsburgh Joins Ranks of U.S. Retirement Havens

Move over, Tampa, retirees may soon trade in your sunny beaches and migrate north to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the city tops Bankrate’s 2017 “Best Places to Retire in America” list. To compile the rankings, the New York City-based consumer financial services company scored the 50 largest U.S. metro areas on several factors, including: health care […]

San Francisco Pilot Program Tackles Home Care Affordability

More than half a million California residents employ home care workers. However, many are finding it more and more difficult to pay for these services, according to a report published by The University of California, Los Angeles’ (UCLA) Labor Center. A pilot program in San Francisco County, titled Support at Home, is tackling this issue […]

Top 10 Home Health and Hospice Providers

Despite regulatory and operational challenges within the home health and hospice industries, competition remains strong, as evidenced in Chicago-based research firm LexisNexis’ 2017 Top 100 Home Health and Hospice Agencies Rankings. The 2017 rankings were compiled by LexisNexis Risk Solutions utilizing 2016 medical claims and patient volume data from the company’s proprietary “MarketView” claims database, […]

Movers & Shakers: AlayaCare, Home Care Assistance

AlayaCare Names New Board Advisor Home health care software developer AlayaCare has named Will Falk a member of its board of directors. Falk is a retired partner with multi-national accounting and auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). He joined PwC in 2012 and led the Canadian health care practice for five years. He has spent 25 years as […]

Illinois Challenges Remain for Addus Despite Clearing Increased Wage Hurdle

After facing more than two years of state budget constraints, Addus HomeCare (Nasdaq: ADUS) in-home care aides in Illinois are celebrating in their recent win, as the company’s collective bargaining unit under Service Employees International Union (SEIU), has reached a tentative agreement with Addus management to boost wages. Specifically, the tentative agreement will give workers a 72 […]

Honor Expands Caregiver Pool with New Partner Network

Building on its momentum of creating partnerships with other health care providers, San Francisco-based Honor has launched a new program with the aim of further expanding those types of arrangements. Honor, which has raised $65 million in funding, currently has partnerships with senior living providers, independent home care agencies and continuing care systems, among others. The […]