Home Health Deal Value Spiked 64.5% in 2018

With more than 1,180 total transactions valued at a whopping $121.5 billion, 2018 was a record-breaking year for health care dealmaking volume. The home health and hospice segments, in particular, saw the highest multiples. The latest insights into health care dealmaking come from the 2018 year-end report from international auditing and accounting powerhouse PricewaterhouseCooper (PwC). […]

Shifting ACO Rules Create Uncertainty for Home Health Agencies

Home health agencies are still unsure what a recent overhaul of Medicare’s accountable care organization (ACO) program means for them. They will be affected, experts say, but how and to what extent remains unclear. Called “Pathways to Success,” the new policies for ACOs were announced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) about […]

NAHC’s Dombi: Threat of Payment Cuts Can’t Be Ignored

It’s been a hectic time since Bill Dombi officially took over as president of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) about 11 months ago. Perhaps more than anything, though, it’s been a period punctuated by the introduction of the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM), the biggest payment overhaul the home health industry has […]

Virtual Reality Helps In-Home Caregivers Experience Dementia, Dying

Using a virtual reality headset and the story of a veteran with lung cancer, a Los Angeles-based company is showing caregivers what it’s like to die in hospice care. The goal of the simulation, created by Embodied Labs, is to bring new dimensions to employee training. “People will say, ‘Oh, so you’re teaching empathy, right?’ […]

MedPAC Calls for Up to $2 Billion in Home Health Cuts for 2020

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) is once again calling for steep cuts to the Medicare base payment rate for home health agencies. MedPAC’s recommendation comes despite the U.S. health care system’s steady march into the home and the fact more care is being delivered in residential settings. Specifically, MedPAC officials are recommending that Congress […]

Capital + Strategy Forum — Positioning Your Firm Alongside Disruptors

Panel Spotlight: Positioning Your Firm Alongside The New Disruptors Join us in the nation’s capital for a day of networking and thought leadership with industry executives in home health, private duty and hospice. This featured session explores the intersection of health care, retail, insurance, care delivery systems and hospitals. Learn about how these forces are […]

Home Health, Hospice Deals to Reach Record Numbers in 2019

The home health and hospice industries are expected to see significantly more mergers and acquisitions in 2019 than in years past. The growing popularity of lower-cost, value-based care and other factors are largely to thank. That’s according to Norwalk, Connecticut-based market intelligence firm Irving Levin & Associates, which collects and studies M&A data. The boom […]

Overcoming Barriers to Growth in Home-Based Palliative Care

Now is a better time than ever for home health agencies, hospice providers and other organizations to invest in and grow their home-based palliative care offerings. Yet certain barriers may still be holding them back. Although need for palliative care is skyrocketing, common barriers to entry include sustainable financing and quality standards. While restrictive, those […]

Court Sides with Home Health Agencies in Reimbursement Fight

A judge has ordered the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to accept telemonitoring reimbursement requests from home health providers, who claim the agency has failed to do so since the beginning of the year. That’s according to the Austin American-Statesman. Previously, Home Health Care News reported on the four home health companies behind […]

4 Ways to Boost Home Care Around the World

The number of people over the age of 60 is expected to at least double by 2050, with the over-80 population projected to grow at an even faster rate in many countries. To keep national health care spending down, countries will need to figure out ways to support and encourage care that is delivered in […]