HHS: Medicare Advantage Plans Improperly Denying Claims

Roughly one-third of Medicare beneficiaries are currently signed up for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, the private-insurance alternative to the traditional Medicare program. That figure is growing rapidly, too, especially as more Americans become aware of the non-medical, at-home care services available through MA plans as supplemental benefits starting in 2019. While popular, the MA program […]

NY Times: Humana Wants to ‘Own the Home’

Insurance giant Humana (NYSE: HUM) is about to become the nation’s largest hospice provider. Specifically, Humana is acquiring a stake in the home health and hospice business of Kindred Healthcare (NYSE: KND) as part of a joint venture with two private equity firms. In addition to Kindred, Humana is buying hospice provider Curo for $1.4 billion, […]

Commuting Crisis Disrupts Home Care in Big Apple

More than 100,000 personal attendants and home health aides work in New York City, and they’re facing major obstacles in reaching clients. The Big Apple’s public transportation system has fallen into decay, with the subway experiencing breakdowns and significant delays, and as a result many workers on their way to see in-home care clients find themselves stuck, according […]

Must-Read News: Health Homes Services Review

Happy Monday, Home Health Care News readers. Take a moment to catch up from the weekend on all things home health and home care with our must-read news. Keep reading to see our top stories from last week. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General  announced it will review health […]

NY Times: Trump Mandate on DACA Has Home Health Implications

When President Trump announced on Tuesday that he would end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program after a 6-month delay, the news hit the home health care industry especially hard. The program, which protects young undocumented adults from being deported from the United States, is actually full of home health care workers. In […]

Monday Jump-Start: New Health Care Jobs Numbers

Happy Monday, readers! Take a minute to catch up on everything that happened last week with our Monday Jump-Start. Keep reading to see our top stories from last week, along with news items that caught our eye. Start your week off with this gripping first-hand account from a patient who was saved by her home […]

Senate Health Care Bill Pulls Back Medicaid Spending

Senate Republicans released a “discussion draft” of their health care bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), informally known as Obamacare. The bill, while similar in the House version passed in May, goes even further in its cuts to Medicaid funding—and potential impacts to home heath care. “The Senate bill—once promised as […]

Editor’s Picks: Regulations, Rules and Rising Rates

As 2016 starts winding down and the health care industry braces for changes likely to come with the incoming Trump administration, a few last-ditch laws are coming down the pike. We were sure to let our readers know which regulations could impact the home health and hospice industry, for better or for worse. We also […]

Editor’s Picks: Slashing Hospital Readmissions, Honor in Walmart

This week, pre-claim stepped into the spotlight once again, with Illinois lawmakers asking for a delay. On the home care side of things, a popular story involved a startup’s presence in Walmart. HHCN will be observing Columbus Day on Monday, October 10. We will return to our regular posting schedule on Tuesday, October 11. We hope you […]

NY Times: PACE Changes Worry Critics

As more private equity moves into a Medicare program designed to help American seniors age in place, worries are mounting among critics who believe the work should be left exclusively to non-profits using government funds, The New York Times reported. The program in question is the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), a federal […]