First Few Months of PDPM Triggered Higher SNF Payments. Will PDGM Do the Same?

The Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) — another Medicare payment overhaul in the skilled nursing facility (SNF) arena — could serve as an indicator for what the coming months will look like under the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM). Naturally, home health owners and operators have been paying attention. PDPM launched on Oct. 1, which has given […]

CMS Administrator Seema Verma: Home Health Compare Overhaul Is on Its Way

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Thursday that users of Home Health Compare — its consumer-facing database of home health provider quality information — can expect to see a major revamp. CMS plans to roll Home Health Compare and seven other Compare sites into one tool called “Medicare Care Compare” sometime this […]

Clinical Huddles, Pre-Coding and Wound Care: Home Health Providers Share Tips for Early PDGM Success

When it comes to the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM), it’s often the seemingly small changes that bring big results. That’s true even for some of the largest U.S. home health providers, including Amedisys Inc. (Nasdaq: AMED), Bayada Home Health Care, Encompass Health Corp. (NYSE: EHC) and Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM). While it’s still too early […]

Demand for Home Caregiver Jobs Continues to Surge

In the decade spanning from 2018 to 2028, the in-home care industry will need to fill an estimated 4.7 million home care jobs, according to a new report released by PHI. The estimate — slightly higher than previous projections — is yet another reminder of the workforce pressure nearly all U.S. home care providers face. […]

CMMI Initiatives May Fall Short of Previous Savings Projections

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) will save far less in the coming years than the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected, according to an analysis conducted by Avalere. Avalere, a health care research and consulting firm, estimates that CMMI will save $18 billion from 2017 to 2026. The CBO had projected $34 billion […]

Home Health Agencies See PDGM as Major Growth Opportunity

A joint survey from Dallas-based Axxess — a home health technology company — and advisory firm BKD reiterated that the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) and staffing are the dominant contemporary concerns among home health agencies. Released earlier this week, the 2020 Industry Trends Report collected responses from employees in many positions at both large and […]

Amedisys CEO: If We Don’t Produce High-Quality Care, We Shouldn’t Be in Business

Amedisys Inc. (Nasdaq: AMED) — the second-largest home health provider in the country, according to LexisNexis — is aiming to become the industry’s leader in employee turnover rates. Just five years ago, the Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based home health giant sported over a 40% turnover rate. That number was lowered to under 16% by the end […]