Home-Based Care Providers Break Down ‘Unintended Consequences’ Of CMS’ Proposed Medicaid Rule

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 […]

‘We Will Be Paying For This For Years’: 8 Home Health C-Suite Leaders Sound Off On ‘Alarming’ Medicare Cuts

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 […]

What Comes Next: Exploring Optum’s Decisive Play For Amedisys

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, […]

Lawmakers Seeking To Block Home Health Medicare Cuts

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 […]

Why Health System-Home Health Joint Venture Activity Could Heat Up

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 […]

Staying Ahead Of The Curve: Clinical Investment Strategies At AccentCare, VNS Health

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 […]

Behind AccentCare’s New Workforce Transparency Initiative

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, Telehealth Partnerships Increased Access To Care Amid Pandemic

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 […]