In the Biz: Home Health Joint Venture to Reduce Hospital Readmissions

As one of the fastest-growing sectors in the United States, home health care is teeming with business activity. Here are some of the industry’s latest investments, acquisitions and partnerships: Strategic Partnership Creates Documentation, Quality Solution For Agencies Jacksonville, Florida-based Forcura and Floral Park, New York-based Quality In Real Time (QIRT) have announced a new strategic […]

Feds Track Down Accused Fraudsters in $2.4 Million Home Health Scheme

Three individuals have been arrested for more than $2.4 million in Medicare and Medicaid fraud involving home health-related kickbacks and bribes, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. One of the accused was detained in Colombia, the federal authorities announced. The defendants — Daniel Ronchetta, M.D., chiropractic physician assistant […]

Thieves Posing as Home Care Workers Put Providers on Guard

Two women are posing as home care workers with Virginia-based Sentara Healthcare, targeting elderly residents as part of a scam to steal valuables from their homes. And this isn’t the first time Sentara — which provides a range of services, including home care, throughout Virginia and North Carolina — has issued a warning against these scams. […]

Special Training Improves Retention of Home Health Workers

Despite home health care ranking among the fastest-growing sectors in the U.S., turnover for home health and personal care aides is around 40% to 65% each year, making retention a huge challenge for the industry. Cue: training initiatives. According to new research, home health aides who take part in training initiatives are more satisfied with […]

Home Care Workers Organize Nationwide ‘Blitz’ for Higher Wages

The war over home care wages continues, as workers organize a nationwide town hall “blitz,” seeking support for a higher wage standard and a union. Over the next two weeks, home care workers will hold town hall meetings in two-dozen cities, with support from public officials, community leaders and clergy, including U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas […]

Home Health Fraudster Pleads Guilty to $13 Million Scheme

An owner of a Miami home health care company has pleaded guilty in connection with a $13 million Medicare fraud scheme involving kickbacks and bribes, the Department of Justice (DoJ) announced Tuesday.  Alexander Lara, of Hollywood, Fla., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud after allegedly paying kickbacks and bribes […]

Providers Mobilize Against Home Health Surety Bonds

Leaders in the home health care industry are urging providers to voice their opposition to recently proposed surety bonds, which one association says could have “serious negative effects” for home health businesses. The National Association for Home Care & Hospice, a nonprofit advocacy group, is leading the charge by encouraging providers to contact their elected […]

Home Care Company to Pay $5 Million Over Doc Assessments

To resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting false home health care billings to Medicare and Medicaid, ResCare Iowa Inc. has agreed to settle for $5.63 million, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced this week. The disputed billings mainly related to the requirement that doctors conduct face-to-face assessments of potential home health patients, […]

Ohio Gov. Sets Plans to Crack Down on Home Care Fraud

Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) is taking a bold new step in combating fraud in the home care industry: phasing out up to 13,000 independent providers who bill Medicaid for in-home care, The Columbus Dispatch reports. The proposal, part of Kasich’s budget plan, aims to phase out thousands of providers over a four-year period through […]