12 States Urge Supreme Court to Overturn DOL Rule

The attorneys general from Kansas and 11 other states have requested that the U.S. Supreme Court review a lower court’s decision to effectively extend minimum wage and overtime protections to approximately 2 million home care workers across the country, arguing that the ruling threatens residents’ access to in-home care. In August, the U.S. Court of […]

NAHC: Providers Need Pay Bump to Meet Proposed Rules

The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) has publicly voiced its recommendations for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed rule on discharge planning requirements. In a letter to CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt, NAHC said the proposed rule contains vague standards and imposes a burden on home health agencies that has been “grossly […]

The Biggest Home Health Care News of 2015

Home Health Care News kept readers on the forefront of breaking news throughout the home health and home care industry in 2015. The year was marked by rapidly-changing regulations and a booming emergence of app-based caregiving services. From policy changes to major acquisitions and reports on the biggest players in the industry, here’s a list […]

Lack of Oversight Blamed in Poor Home Health Labor Standards

Home care workers are in high demand, but the job doesn’t come with many perks. While home care workers achieved a victory when the Department of Labor ruled this group of workers were entitled to overtime and minimum wage protections, a recent report from the National Employment Law Project (NELP) reviews that nearly 2 million […]

Home Health Weighs Risks, Rewards of Bundled Payments

With bundled payment programs already underway, home health agencies are making strides to position themselves as preferred providers to hop on board the coordinated care trend. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently finalized the model for Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CCJR) that bundles payments through coordinated care between health organizations. The […]

Home Care Workers Travel Astronomical Distances on the Job

Home care workers travel to the moon and back—17,462 times a year, according to a new study. Specifically, home care aides, nurses and therapists who serve elderly, disabled and chronically ill patients across the United States drove 7.88 billion miles and made more than 718 million home care visits in 2013. Of these 718 million […]

One House Call Has Big Aging-in-Place Payoff

When it comes to helping seniors age in their own home, an in-home assessment from a physician or nurse practitioner goes a long way. Between 2008 and 2012, Medicare recipients enrolled in a house calls program had 14% fewer hospital admissions during the year after they initially were evaluated, compared with Medicare beneficiaries in a […]

American HomePatient Acquired by Respiratory Care Giant

A German gases, engineering and health care company has moved to purchase one of the largest in-home respiratory care providers in the United States. Lincare Holdings Inc., a subsidiary of German corporation The Linde Group, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Brentwood, Tennessee-based American HomePatient from Highland Capital Management. Lincare, based in Clearwater, […]

Beyond Readmissions: Inside One Health Network’s Home Care Initiative

Reducing medical expenditures and lowering hospital readmission rates are only part of the equation when it comes to one health network’s all-encompassing home care initiative. More than anything, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based Allegheny Health Network (AHN) is focused on maintaining control over the quality of care and services delivered once patients leave the hospital, made possible through […]

Providers Battle Declining Profits, Staffing Woes After Wage Rule

It’s no secret that new wage and overtime rules for home care workers have posed a business challenge to many agencies, but results from a recent survey translate that pain into hard numbers. Out of 444 providers surveyed last month by satisfaction management firm Home Care Pulse, 62% said that the new rules were having […]