There’s a flood of changes surging toward the U.S. home health care industry. But thanks to widespread recognition, improved quality and staunch advocacy efforts, providers have never been standing on higher ground. That was the key message delivered by the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) leadership Sunday during the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit […]
Despite providers often touting their success in keeping older adults at home and out of the hospital, average readmission rates for the home health industry remained relatively flat from 2017 to 2018. That’s according to the latest Home Health Chartbook, a comprehensive analysis of the post-acute care industry and home health sub-sector compiled by Avalere […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) made waves in January when it unveiled plans to test a hospice carve-in under Medicare Advantage (MA), a step long viewed as “inevitable.” Specifically, CMS officials said they would test the feasibility of a hospice carve-in starting in 2021 through the MA Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) model. […]
As the pages on the calendar continue to turn toward January 2020, the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) remains a top priority for home health agencies big and small. But while the payment overhaul does mark the beginning of a new era in the industry, it can’t be providers’ sole focus. “It shouldn’t be: ‘PDGM is […]
Addressing social determinants of health is especially important for Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries, as they are increasingly affected by a lack of services targeting those needs, which include access to and quality of housing, food and transportation, among other socio-economic factors. That’s according to a recent report from Avalere Health, a Washington, D.C.-based health care […]
The quality of home health care improved across most major domains between 2016 and 2017, although the rate of hospital admissions remained static for the fifth straight year. That’s according to data in the Home Health Chartbook 2018, prepared by Avalere Health for the Alliance for Home Health Quality and Innovation. The document compiles data […]
To keep their chronically ill residents at home and out of hospitals or nursing homes, states are beginning to look at food-as-medicine models that deliver healthy, nutritious meals under doctors’ orders. But there’s now a state that’s doing a lot more than looking. California has launched a new, three-year, $6 million pilot program spearheaded by […]
Investors were bullish on home care on Tuesday, following news that Medicare Advantage (MA) plans would officially be allowed to cover non-skilled home care services starting in 2019. Care providers were excited as well, making the case that they are well-positioned to seize this opportunity, even as they are trying to determine its scope. The […]
Fewer Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries have been going to skilled nursing facilities over the last nine years, in part because hospitals are referring to home health more frequently. However, it is only in certain areas across the country where hospital referral patterns have changed to favor home health, according to a newly released analysis from […]
After a turbulent year in regulatory proposals for the home health care industry, providers need to be looking to 2018 with fresh eyes on what changes still lie ahead. “2017 was arguably dominated by efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare,” said Fred Bentley, vice president of Avalere Health, a policy and financial consulting firm based […]