Medicare will begin penalizing 2,211 hospitals in October for having too many counts of patient readmissions, and some hospitals are looking to home health care as a solution to the readmission problem. Severity of the Medicare penalties is based on the number of the readmissions for Medicare heart failure, heart attack and pneumonia patients between […]
Category: Medicare
Home health care and hospice provider IntegraCare has been acquired by Kindred Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:KND), a Louisville, Ky.-based long-term care and rehabilitation services provider, for up to $75 millon. IntegraCare Holdings, Inc., is a Texas-based portfolio company of private equity firm Flexpoint Ford LLC, and was purchased for $71 million in cash plus up to […]
While more attention has been paid to certain provisions of the Affordable Care Act regarding health insurance or the creation of new state health insurance exchanges, the comprehensive health reform law has also spurred the development of new programs looking for ways to provide cost-efficient, quality care in a variety of settings—including those that are […]
With the 2012 presidential campaign looming overhead, a July 2012 AARP survey finds aging Americans believe candidates are neglecting key issues, causing seniors to experience increased anxiety about retirement and their ability to afford healthcare as they age. Contributing to seniors’ uneasy feelings about retirement and healthcare are weaknesses in the Medicare and Social Security […]
Five Lincolnwood, Ill. home health agency employees were indicted Monday on charges for allegedly participating in a Medicare fraud scheme involving $400,000 in kickbacks for the referral and retention of Medicare beneficiaries, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. In their kickback scheme, Goodwill Home Healthcare, Inc. billed Medicare for $5 million to cover their […]
Amedisys, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMED), provider of home health and hospice care, suffered a 65.8% decline in earnings per share (EPS), during the second quarter of 2012 due to large cuts in Medicare reimbursements and the implementation of Medicare’s face-to-face law, according the company’s second quarter financial report. Despite decline to an EPS of 27 cents, the company […]
CareAll Management LLC, a home health care provider based in Nashville, Tenn., has agreed to pay the federal government $9.375 million to settle a lawsuit filed by the United States in 2009 alleging that the company and several related entities violated the False Claims Act by over-billing Medicare, announced the Department of Justice. The home […]
Physicians currently function as the gatekeepers to certifying patients for Medicare-covered home health care and hospice benefits, but advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) should be allowed to certify patients for these services as well, recommends a 2011 Institute of Medicine report, The Future of Nursing, Leading Change, Advancing Health. Under the present system, Medicare laws […]
Home health care provider Almost Family (NASDAQ:AFAM) saw its net income decline 8.1% to $4.55 million, or $0.49 per diluted share, in the second quarter ended June 30, 2012, compared to the previous year’s $4.95 million, or $0.53 per diluted share, attributed in part to decreases in Medicare reimbursement rates. “We’re pleased with our results […]
The owner and operator of a Miami, Fla. health care agency pleaded guilty on Thursday, Aug. 2, for his participation in a $42 million home health Medicare fraud scheme, announced the Department of Justice in conjunction with the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services. Eulises Escalona pleaded guilty to one count of […]
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