Home-based care leaders are gaining some gusto. They are at the helm of the organizations that should, theoretically, be the beneficiaries of an overload of demand over the next decade. In the past, providers have pleaded for a “seat at the table” in the health care continuum. But, to a certain extent, they now hold […]
When examining a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan population, researchers found that there’s a substantial prevalence of homebound individuals. As part of the study, Dr. Bruce Leff and his study co-authors examined the prevalence, characteristics, predictors, health service use, and mortality outcomes of 2,435,519 homebound Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) MA beneficiaries in 2022. “We thought it […]
There are certain headwinds affecting all home-based care providers right now, whether it be in payment, staffing or otherwise. Amid those challenges, the largest companies are all taking slightly different approaches to growth. Enhabit Inc. (NYSE: EHAB), for instance, grabbed the attention of home health providers everywhere last week when it announced that it had […]
Yet another study suggests that Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries have less access to quality home health services. In a study comparing traditional Medicare beneficiaries and MA beneficiaries in 2019, traditional Medicare beneficiaries were more likely to utilize outpatient, inpatient and home health care services than beneficiaries in MA plans. That was the case regardless of […]
Last week, UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) defended its utilization of in-home health assessments, which are visits used widely by Medicare Advantage (MA) plans looking to fill gaps in patient care. Detractors of this type in-home visit have suggested that plans use them to up risk scores for MA members, which helps maximize reimbursement. In July, […]
Enhabit Inc. (NYSE: EHAB) CEO Barb Jacobsmeyer said Wednesday that the company would terminate its contract with the country’s largest Medicare Advantage (MA) payer, UnitedHealth Group’s (NYSE UNH) UnitedHealthcare. UnitedHealthcare accounts for 9.4 million MA beneficiaries, or 29% of all enrollees, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM), which is the second-largest […]
Centene Corp. (NYSE: CNC) is set to pull back on Medicare Advantage (MA) in at least six states next year. As the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has made cuts to core rates over the last couple of years, insurers have put the brakes on MA expansion. Specifically, Centene will exit Alabama, Massachusetts, […]
The Helper Bees has introduced a flexible benefit card called helpful, which grants access to over-the-counter (OTC) products, groceries and a nationwide network of vetted Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) providers through a unified card experience. Helper Bees, based in Austin, Texas, is the developer of an aging-in-place platform that connects families with services in […]
Jim Rechtin took the helm as the president and CEO of Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) on the first of July. A month in, he’s already tasked with facing tough questions, like how the company plans to combat regulatory headwinds in Medicare Advantage (MA) and home health care. Home health providers and MA plans have continually […]
To be the beneficiaries of an overwhelming amount of home health demand, providers have to take on a larger share of Medicare Advantage (MA) patients. In the short-term, that doesn’t come off as a financially shrewd strategy, but it makes sense from a long-term perspective. Last week, I wrote about a potential “leveling off” of […]
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