Empower Act Extends Funding for Care at Home

Sens. Maria Cantwell, D-Wa., and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, introduced the Ensuring Medicaid Provides Opportunities for Widespread Equity, Resources and Care Act (EMPOWER Care Act), which renews and expands the Money Follows the Person (MFP) Demonstration Program. The MFP program, which has seen participation from 43 states and the District of Columbia as of September 2016, promotes transitioning […]

Small Home Health Agencies Prefer Cash to Legacy

The family-owned business, passed on from generation to generation, is an archetype of American commerce. In practice, however, most “mom-and-pop” home care and home health agencies are content to take the money and run when it comes time to pass the business into new hands. “It’s rare to have a child to take over, rare […]

Red Flags for Rising Acuity in Home Care

Private duty home care offers many vital services for seniors who need services to age in place. But what happens when clients have a change in health and need more support? Private duty caregivers are often the first lines of defense against rising acuity levels, but there are some signs when a client needs more advanced care. Home […]

Collaboration is Key to Digital Health Solutions

The home care space has recently seen a number of startups take risks and bet on the role of digital solutions in improving seniors’ quality of life and independence at home. But digital solutions need to be designed and rolled out effectively by stakeholders working together to realize their full potential, according to a recent report from HealthXL, […]

Business Briefs: Home Care Assist, Always Best Care

Home Care Assist Expands to Florida Home Care Assist, an online compatibility matching network for in-home care, expanded to South Florida. The company, which is based in Raleigh, North Carolina, already has a presence in Georgia and North Carolina. “Our entry into South Florida is a significant milestone as we work to provide unique advantages for […]

$374 Million Home Health Care Fraud Case Concludes

The FBI has wrapped up the largest ever home health care fraud case, which centered around a $374 million scheme in Texas and involved seven individuals, the agency stated in a post on Monday. The sentencing of Cynthia Stiger, 52, of Dallas, in October to 10 years in prison marked the end of the major fraud case, which spanned eight […]

Transactions: LHC Group Strikes JV in Tennessee, Advocate Merger

LHC Group Enters Joint Venture for Home Health Care in SE Tennessee LHC Group (NASDAQ: LHCG), one of the nation’s largest home health care providers, and Erlanger Health System, a multi-hospital system based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, finalized a joint venture worth roughly $7 million in annualized revenue. The transaction includes a facility that provides both skilled home health care and non-skilled […]

Older Adults Open To Robots in Home Care

Robot technology is making inroads into home care, and a new study suggests that older adults will embrace the innovations. The findings, published in the journal Assistive Technology, examined the attitudes regarding robotic technologies among people in the age ranges of 18-44, 45-64, and 65+ and found general agreement on their perceptions of the value of […]

Home Care Registry Becomes Law in Massachusetts

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed a law to establish a registry for home care workers employed by state-contracted in-home care agencies on Nov. 24. The registry has drawn controversy over whether it sufficiently protects worker privacy. The law requires state-contracted home care workers to include their name, gender, home and mailing addresses, job title and training or certifications. […]

Humana’s Value-Based Efforts Show Home Health Opportunity

Home health providers’ involvement in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans is growing, and a focus on value-based care could help in that process, a study from Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) suggests. Seniors enrolled in MA plans can see lower costs of care and better care when they’re part of value-based programs, according to the study. As home health […]