In November, the Better Medicare Alliance and actuarial consulting firm Milliman dropped their latest report detailing how Medicare Advantage (MA) plans were acting on the expanded supplemental benefits rules federal policymakers established over the past couple of years. Home care executives devoured the report, but came away feeling somewhat discouraged by an apparent lack of […]
Once considered an afterthought, non-medical, in-home care took on newfound importance in 2019. Many home care CEOs predict that momentum will continue in 2020, especially as risk-based arrangements among providers become more common. Medicare Advantage and outcomes-related health data are also positioned to play leading roles in home care next year, industry leaders believe. The […]
While the home care industry wasn’t encumbered by a major regulatory overhaul, such as the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM), several themes and key topics emerged in a way that defined 2019. Federal policymakers expanding home care coverage under Medicare Advantage (MA), for example, made waves throughout the year. Additionally, the ongoing caregiver shortage remained top […]
Despite a rise in the number of Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollees over the past several years, the percentage of MA plans offering supplemental benefits, including home care services, is on its way down. That’s according to a recent study conducted by Duke University’s Margolis Center for Policy Health. Overall, there were 22 million Medicare beneficiaries […]
No shockers here: The Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) was the big story in 2019. The most widely read Home Health Care News story from the past year was a PDGM-focused conversation between the leaders of Amedisys Inc. (Nasdaq: AMED), LHC Group Inc. (Nasdaq: LHCG) and Encompass Health’s (NYSE: EHC) home health division. Now just days […]
Insurance giant Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) and health technology company Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG) have teamed up to give Humana’s Medicare Advantage (MA) members 24/7 access to care via remote patient monitoring. The move reflects the continued adoption of remote patient monitoring and telehealth, especially when it comes to the MA landscape. “Payers are increasingly […]
Clover Health — similar to many other Medicare Advantage (MA) players — has its sights firmly set on the home. But unlike its larger and older MA peers, the relatively smaller and newer Clover isn’t held back by certain structural constraints. That ability to build a home-focused model from the ground up is a big […]
Private health insurance spending grew by $101.3 billion between 2016 and 2018. Virtually none of that growth was tied to home health care services, however. The insights into private health insurance spending over the past few years come from a recent economic analysis put together by the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD), a Washington, […]
LHC Group hires chief information officer LHC Group (Nasdaq: LHCG) has a new IT chief. Earlier this month, the Lafayette, Louisiana-based LHC Group announced that former health insurance veteran Mohammad Ali will join the company as its chief information officer. Ali’s tenure as CIO will officially begin Dec. 2. In his role as CIO, Ali […]
The Home Care Association of America (HCAOA) is undergoing a leadership shakeup. The Washington, D.C.-based trade group announced Tuesday that long-time home care leader Vicki Hoak is taking over as executive director. Hoak takes over the role previously filled by Phil Bongiorno. Moving forward, Hoak will be tasked with helping U.S. home care providers navigate […]