New Study Raises ‘Important’ Questions About Differences In Post-Acute Care Utilization Between FFS Medicare, MA Beneficiaries

An extensive body of research exists highlighting the differences in post-acute care utilization between fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare beneficiaries and those enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA). Generally, that research has suggested that MA enrollees utilize post-acute care services less than their FFS counterparts, often with either better or equal health outcomes. A study published Friday in […]

Under Two-Sided Risk Models, Quality Of Care Increases Compared To FFS Medicare

Data examinations are beginning to shed greater insight on just how much better value-based payment models are for quality of care. When comparing two-sided risk models in Medicare Advantage (MA) versus fee-for-service Medicare programs, the former performed better in all eight quality-of-care metrics. That is at least according to a new study published this month […]

Home Health Providers Lag Behind Skilled Nursing Facilities in Preventing Re-Hospitalizations

While home health care is often touted as a cost-effective way to reduce readmissions, skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) — though more expensive — might be better at keeping patients out of the hospital post-discharge. That’s according to a new article published in JAMA Internal Medicine, which shows readmission rates for patients discharged to home health […]

Immigrants Play Large Role in Combating Home Health Caregiver Shortage

A large proportion of home health workers in the U.S. are immigrants, according to a new study compiled with census data. But stricter immigration policies proposed by the Trump administration could reduce the number of foreign-born health care workers and further fuel the nationwide caregiver shortage, some experts say. More than 23% of home health, […]

At-Home Deaths On the Rise in United States

Americans are more often spending their final days at home or in other community-based settings instead of the hospital, a new study has found. Overall, the proportion of deaths that occur in acute-care hospitals has fallen to below 20%, according to a retrospective cohort study published last month in JAMA. That’s a steep drop compared […]

Home-Based Care Increases 20%, But Many Still Left Out

There has been a sharp spike in the number of seniors receiving in-home help, with the greatest increase among those paying for the services. Half of disabled seniors had some form of in-home help in 2012, which is up nearly 20% since 1998, according to a recent study published in the latest issue of JAMA by a […]

Tech Innovation Improves Home Health’s Cost-Care Equation

Most Americans want to remain in their homes throughout retirement, yet the one thing that most hope to achieve by aging in place may be taking a toll on mental and physical health: independence. Keeping seniors healthier—and happier—is a priority for health care agencies, but keeping seniors engaged and feeling healthy in the home setting […]