Family caregivers can be barriers to technology adoption and usage by older adults in their care, even though they acknowledge the positive impact technology can have on a care recipient’s life. Sixty-seven percent of caregivers report that the older adult in their care has not started any new enrichment activities in the past two years, […]
Medicare-certified hospices may see an estimated $200 million increase in their payments for fiscal year 2016, but some industry members are voicing concern about how reimbursements will be distributed among different levels of care. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued a proposed rule (CMS-1629-P) that would update fiscal year 2016 Medicare […]
A New Jersey home health agency owner has admitted her role in a $7 million scheme to defraud Medicaid and engage in bribery, money laundering, and tax evasion, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Among the details of the alleged crimes are actions that defrauded Medicaid by submitting false documents to the N.J. Board […]
Home health leaders largely applauded Congress after legislation to replace Medicare’s controversial Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) was recently signed into law. And already home care industry groups are seeing positive results from the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, or permanent “doc fix,” according to new data. Among Investor’s Business Daily’s 197 industry groups, its Medical-Outpatient/Home Care industry […]
A Chicago man was recently sentenced to 120 months in prison and ordered to pay $23.3 million in restitution for Medicare fraud committed while operating two Chicago-area home health companies. Jacinto “John” Gabriel, Jr., 48, has been in custody since February 2014, when he entered a guilty plea to charges of conspiracy to commit health […]
In case you missed it, here are the most popular Home Health Care News stories grabbing readers’ attention this past week: 5 Most Expensive States for Home Health in 2015 – While the cost of home care services continues to grow more slowly than the cost of assisted living and nursing home care, a new report from […]
Home health volume trends are less favorable than historical norms, a new six-year analysis of patient and discharge data reveals. But some states are bucking the recent industry shift, the report from Healthcare Market Resources shows. “As we look at the six-year national analysis, we see that the golden years for home health seem to […]
A Virginia-based home health care agency is being sued for $50 million after a client with severe disabilities died in a mobile home fire last year, local media report. Hand ’n Heart was allegedly hired by the victim, 35-year-old Josh Smith, to provide 24/7 care, and is being sued by his family. “The lawsuit filed in Norfolk […]
Most hospitals see the value in partnering with or acquiring home health companies for population health management, but technology barriers stand in the way of maximizing these relationships, a new report reveals. The majority of respondents said their organization is working toward improving its population health management strategy either by acquiring, or more likely by actively […]
States’ views on minimum wage increases for home health care workers continue to differ, as nine states recently voiced opposition to the minimum wage rule that four other states recently said they support. Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt recently asked a federal appeals court to reject U.S. Department of Labor regulations that “threaten the availability […]