Despite Slow Second Quarter, Home Health M&A Remains Strong

Only nine publicly announced home health deals occurred in the second quarter of 2017, according to research conducted by Norwalk, Connecticut-based Irving Levin Associates. This performance signified a 40% drop in activity when compared to the total publicly announced mergers and acquisitions in the first quarter of the year (15), as well as a back-to-back decline in […]

Texas Doctor Sentenced to 35 Years for $374 Million Fraud Scheme

Rockwall, Texas-based doctor Jacques Roy, MD, was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay to 35 years in federal prison for his involvement in a $374 million home health care fraud scheme, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced. The scheme, which prosectors deemed “staggering,” is the largest home health care fraud case in the […]

Proposed Groupings Model Takes Toll on Home Health Stocks

Despite experiencing a “hot streak” in the first half of the year, home health care companies saw sharp dives in share values in July, due in large part to investors’ reactions to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed home health groupings model (HHGM). Three of the largest publicly traded home health care […]

Joint Venture Focus Propels LHC Group Growth in 2017

Fresh off a newly announced joint venture with a major hospital system, one of the nation’s largest home health care providers is continuing its financial hot streak after raising its full-year guidance—despite a looming threat in the proposed Home Health Groupings Model (HHGM). Lafayette, Louisiana-based LHC Group (NASDAQ: LHCG) is building on its momentum of […]

Movers & Shakers: Rainbow Hospice, Addus HomeCare

Addus HomeCare Appoints Manning to Chief Human Resources Officer Post Frisco, Texas-based Addus HomeCare Corporation (NASDAQ: ADUS) has appointed Laurie Manning as the home care services provider’s chief human resource officer, effective August 14. Manning brings more than 25 years of experience working in the health care industry. Prior to joining the Addus team, Manning […]

Medicare Hospice Payments to Increase by $180 Million in 2018

A final rule setting fiscal year 2018 payment rates for hospices has been determined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). In keeping with current law, the market basket percentage increase is 1% for hospices in FY 2018. That equates to a $180 million aggregate increase in their payments in FY 2018. The […]

Value of Home Health Transactions Plummet in Q2 2017

While the overall U.S. health services industry experienced significant growth in mergers and acquisitions in the second quarter of 2017, the value of home health care deals took a dive, according to data published by Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC). While the home health sub-sector saw a total of nine announced deals in the second quarter, both […]

Average National Case Mix Weight Decreases

The national average case mix weight (CMW) in 2016 decreased to 1.0384, according to data compiled by Northampton, Massachusetts-based home health and hospice consulting firm Fazzi Associates. This data was compiled by Fazzi’s analysis of Medicare home health claims for non low utilization payment adjustment (non-LUPA) episodes. The overall decrease in the national average CMW […]

The Big-Picture Strategy to Combatting Caregiver Turnover

Recruiting top talent—and retaining them—continues to be a balancing act that management teams struggle with, regardless of the industry. This issue has certainly become an epidemic in the home health care sector, and more hard evidence available supporting this notion. Stephen Tweed, CSP, is CEO of Leading Home Care, a Louisville, Kentucky-based boutique consulting and […]

How Home Care Companies Can Get Caregivers to ‘Stay’

The reality of talent shortage—marked by high turnover and challenges recruiting and retaining top talent—continues to plague the home care industry. In fact, among the 600-plus home care providers surveyed in Home Care Pulse’s 2017 Home Care Benchmarking Study, 77% of participants consider “caregiver shortage” a top industry threat, according to Home Care Pulse Founder and […]