The health care sector has long had the capability to use telehealth, but it took the COVID-19 emergency to prompt widespread adoption. After three months of the crisis, emerging data is now making the sweeping rate of that adoption clearer. Seniors are among the most susceptible to the COVID-19 virus. Recently unveiled data suggests that […]
Category: Regulation
Medicare-certified home health agencies have now had over a full quarter to adapt to the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM). While comprehensive claims data is still coming in, a few interesting patterns are already starting to emerge. Among the high-level takeaways, case mixes appeared to be higher during the first quarter than what the U.S. Centers […]
While nursing homes have come under fire for widespread COVID-19 infection outbreaks, home-based care providers have been largely regarded in a more positive light. Unlike skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and senior living centers, home-based care providers have lower virus transmission risks due to the individual nature of the service delivery. As such, hospitals and families […]
Home-based care providers who have received emergency relief loans as a result of the coronavirus are in luck. Some commonly criticized aspects of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) are on the chopping block. On Wednesday, the Senate unanimously voted to approve a bill to reform the program, which was created by the CARES Act and […]
Industry experts have predicted a rise in home health bankruptcies amid the COVID-19 virus. But home health providers likely won’t be the only ones affected by tighter cash flows and unexpected expenses. Ultimately, there’s likely to be increased bankruptcy filings across health care, particularly in industries such as skilled nursing and senior living. That, in […]
From a financial perspective, home health agencies nationwide are struggling to provide care amid the coronavirus. Providers are juggling lower patient volumes and a lack of telehealth reimbursement while also navigating astronomical personal protective equipment (PPE) prices and increased low utilization payment adjustment (LUPA) rates. In New York, those factors and others are expected to […]
VNA Health Group was one of the first home health care agencies to candidly speak about its experience with the coronavirus — and it has been a vocal industry advocate on the topic ever since. President and CEO Dr. Steven Landers detailed some of the organization’s financial and regulatory challenges for Home Health Care News […]
Here’s the situation: Amid the coronavirus, a home health provider needs to figure out how to source enough personal protective equipment (PPE) so that its 3,000 caregivers can serve roughly 9,000 senior patients. While looking for supplies, it must also consider that pricing is 10 times higher than usual and the fact the organization has […]
Encompass Health Corporation (NYSE: EHC) has returned the $237 million in emergency provider relief it received from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of the CARES Act. Encompass Health’s move is one many home health providers are considering, as confusion around terms and conditions of the funding has operators fearful of […]
Home health providers were thrilled when they first heard they would be receiving “no strings attached” payments from the Provider Relief Fund, which was mandated by the CARES Act. However, agencies quickly learned that there was more to the story. The grant funding comes with conditions, and confusion around those conditions has some home health […]