The United States is on the brink of another major shift that will change how, when and where Medicare beneficiaries access health care services. The Lafayette, Louisiana-based LHC Group Inc. (Nasdaq: LHCG) is doing everything in its power to position itself for that coming shift, executives detailed during a Friday morning conference call on fourth […]
Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (NYSE: BKD) revealed Wednesday that it’s selling an 80% stake in its health care services business to HCA Healthcare (NYSE: HCA) for $400 million. At first glance, the transaction could be interpreted as a savvy move that enables Brookdale to cash in on its sizable home health, hospice and outpatient therapy […]
Home care agencies have been through a turbulent year. But they’re coming out of it under a new light from the perspective of clients and potential partners. That spotlight continues to grow brighter with each passing day, too, though COVID-19 cases within home care have fluctuated as of late. Far more agencies are dealing with […]
Brookdale Senior Living Inc. (NYSE: BKD) announced Wednesday it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell a majority stake in its home health, hospice and outpatient therapy business. As part of the transaction, the Brentwood, Tennessee-based Brookdale will partner with HCA Healthcare (NYSE: HCA), a for-profit operator of health care facilities that has more […]
When a public health emergency was declared last March, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a variety of waivers allowing home health providers to more easily provide telehealth services during the crisis. Now, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) has announced an audit, dubbed the “HHA Telehealth Project,” that will examine home […]
Telehealth vendors experienced a major business boom last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many believe the increased demand will stick around in 2021, too, driven by a need to constantly monitor vulnerable populations in the home setting. Synzi — a St. Petersburg, Florida-based company that provides virtual visit and messaging tools via its telehealth […]
CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) has allotted ample resources toward home- and community-based care over the past year. It has done so for several reasons, CVS Health leaders point out. For one, investing in home-based care makes it easier for patients to access necessary services during the public health emergency. But CVS Health’s focus on the […]
For the first time in decades, U.S. health care spending may have actually decreased in 2020, new data suggests. Several factors likely contributed to the potential decrease, according to nonprofit research and consulting firm Altarum, which released a preliminary analysis of last year’s national health spending on Tuesday. Such factors include year-over-year declines in hospital […]
Home health and hospice workers have played a critical role on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. But despite being included in many states’ top-priority groups, they’re now being all-too-often overlooked when it comes to vaccine access, AccentCare Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anna Loengard told Home Health Care News. Initially, a large portion of […]
The public health emergency has resulted in higher demand for home medical equipment (HME). Several factors are contributing to the trend, including the rise of hospital-at-home programs, the diversion of patients away from skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and individuals generally voicing a preference for home-based care. As an industry, HME is fairly diverse when it […]