A proposed rule from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) – which would require at least 80% of Medicaid reimbursement for home- and community-based services go toward worker compensation – received over 2,100 submissions during its public comment period. Many of the comments included gratitude and appreciation for CMS regarding its efforts […]
AccentCare
At the end of last month, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published its home health proposed payment rule for 2024. The proposal, almost immediately, drew a negative response from key home health stakeholders. The main headline was CMS’ decision to propose a home health payment decrease of 2.2%. The proposal also […]
UnitedHealth Group’s (NYSE: UNH) Optum snatched Amedisys Inc. (Nasdaq: AMED) away from Option Care Health (Nasdaq: OPCH) at the end of June. If the $3.3 billion acquisition is finalized, Optum will own about 10% of the home health care market. It would represent a seismic shift for a traditionally mom-and-pop industry. It would represent consolidation, […]
The Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2023 was introduced Thursday. Its largest objective is to prevent further cuts to home health payments in 2024 and beyond. The bill, if passed, would also strip the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of some of its payment-rate setting power and force the The Medicare […]
Rising costs, the return of Medicare sequestration, labor shortages and higher patient acuity levels have all contributed to health systems struggling financially over the past 18 months. Since the start of the year, at least half a dozen hospitals have either closed or announced plans to close. To stay afloat, many others have opted to […]
After the implementation of the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM), many home health providers began adjusting their clinical strategies. One strategy, for instance, was a larger focus on wound care programs. During the worst parts of the pandemic, many providers similarly invested in respiratory programs to care for highly complex COVID-19 patients. Today, home health providers […]
AccentCare – one of the largest providers of home health and hospice in the country – has formed a new joint venture with Memorial Hermann Health System. The partnership will “greatly expand access to care in the home throughout the greater Houston area,” according to a Monday press release. Specifically, the JV will combine the […]
AccentCare has a new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiative. Behind it is a belief that home-based care providers should be as transparent as possible with current and future caregivers about the makeup of the company’s workforce. “When you share your workforce data transparently, you’re owning where you’re at in the space — not only […]
Home health providers can help meet the needs of vulnerable patients that need skilled services in their home through telehealth and virtual partnerships. That’s according to a new study conducted by AccentCare and Sound Physicians, a telehealth and physician service provider. The study also found that when telehealth was offered, there were timely initiations of […]
With providers, payers, private equity firms and retailers all having an eye on home-based care sellers, industry stakeholders anticipate that 2023 will be another busy year for M&A. Last year, 99 home-based care deals and 38 hospice deals took place. So far, 2023 M&A activity seems to be starting off comparable to 2022, according to […]