New Medicaid Program Prioritizes In-Home Care

A new Medicaid program in Pennsylvania could make it easier for the state’s seniors to get care in their homes instead of a nursing facility. Under the Community HealthChoices initiative, insurers will be paid to manage Medicaid’s long-term care services with a financial incentive meant to prioritize in-home care for enrollees. The state is rolling out the […]

Home Health Owner Gets 80 Years in Prison for Medicare Fraud

The co-owner of a Houston home health agency was sentenced to a lengthy prison sentence for his role in a $13 million Medicare fraud scheme and for filing false tax returns. U.S. District Judge Melinda Harmon of the Southern District of Texas ordered Ebong Tilong, 53, to spend 80 years behind bars, according to the U.S. […]

OIG Notes Uptick in Home Care Medicaid Fraud Enforcement

The federal government is ramping up its efforts to nab perpetrators of Medicaid personal care services (PCS) fraud. A similar trend has been noted in Medicare home health care. Fraud indictments of PCS providers or attendants rose 56% between 2012 and 2015, while convictions increased 33% during that time, according to a new Office of Inspector General (OIG) report. […]

Why Bayada Moved Its Headquarters Into a Historic Home

In with the old, says Bayada Home Health Care, a major home health care provider which recently moved its New Jersey headquarters to a 159-year-old home. The company, which started operating in 1975, moved its Moorestown*, New Jersey, headquarters into a 19th century residence at the beginning of the year. For Bayada, the move represented a […]

Task Force Urges CMS to Preserve Value Based Payment Models

An industry group representing 42 different patient, payer, provider and purchaser organizations is calling on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to maintain its momentum toward value-based payments—but keep what’s working in the current system along the way. The Health Care Transformation Task Force (HCTTF) shared its thoughts in a Nov. 20 letter responding to a request […]

Comfort Keepers Pilots Affordable Home Care Robot

A Washington, D.C.-area technology company is teaming up with a private duty home care franchise to deploy a new robot at a price many seniors can afford. Hernon, Virginia-based Comfort Keepers of Reston is rolling out its first model “Rudy,” a multifunctional robot companion designed to help seniors as they age at home. Comfort Keepers of Reston performs services such […]

Home Health Stocks Fell Before HHGM Decision

Home health stocks dipped in October as the industry braced for the then-forthcoming home health groupings model (HHGM) decision, according to the Home Health Index November update from M&A advisory firm Stoneridge Partners. The decision ultimately fell in favor of the home health industry. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its final rule on […]

[Updated] Brookdale Expands Hospice Business as Home Health Takes Hit

Fierce competition and multiple hurricanes have eroded Brookdale Senior Living’s (NYSE: BKD) home health bottom line, but the provider sees opportunity in its burgeoning hospice business. The Brentwood, Tennessee-based company is the nation’s largest private-pay senior living provider and is also a major player in home health. Brookdale’s ancillary services took a hit in the third quarter of […]

HCP Move Could Pave Way for Big Brookdale Deal

HCP Inc. (NYSE: HCP) moved to reduce its exposure to Brookdale Senior Living (NYSE: BKD) and restructure its portfolio in a complex series of transactions, driving up share prices for both companies on Thursday. Brookdale is the nation’s largest private-pay senior living provider and is also a major home health provider. Irvine, California-based HCP is […]

Medicare Spends More on Seniors With Highest Needs

Medicare spends roughly three times more on the 13% of beneficiaries who need help with two or more activities of daily living (ADLs) due to physical or cognitive impairments than those that don’t, according to a new study from the Long-Term Quality Alliance (LTQA). The alliance, which represents more than two dozen private and government entities with the goal […]