The Upsides, Downsides To Home-Based Palliative Care Programs

Though nearly ubiquitous in the hospice space, palliative care is a service line that remains largely untapped by home health providers. When its comes to palliative care, there’s a lot of variability from an operational standpoint, Nicole DePace, director of the advanced illness management programs at NVNA and Hospice, said during a webinar hosted by […]

Palliative Care Remains ‘Wild West,’ But Home Health Providers Are Still Investing In It

Despite barriers, there’s opportunity for home health providers that are fully invested in palliative care programs to thrive. Palliative care is both a clinical specialty and a philosophical approach to care, Rory Farrand, vice president of palliative and advanced care at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), said last month at Home Health […]

New Senate Bill Could Make Offering Palliative Care Easier For Home Health Agencies

A group of lawmakers have rolled out a new Senate bill that would direct the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) to develop a palliative care-specific payment model demonstration. The bill is dubbed the Expanding Access to Palliative Care Act. Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), John Barrasso (R-Wy.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) […]

Charter Healthcare’s New CEO On Standing Out As A Home Health Provider In 2023

A few years ago, Charter Healthcare Group made waves as a rapidly growing post-acute care company. It largely accomplished this through a series of acquisitions, mostly eyeing smaller entities that allowed it to beef up palliative care and complex care management capabilities. Charter offers home health, hospice, complex care management and palliative care services across […]

‘All Options Are On The Table’: NAHC, NHPCO Form Joint Exploratory Committee

The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) announced Wednesday that the two organizations have formed a joint exploratory committee. The aim of the committee is to determine how best to collaborate on some of the overlapping issues that are the focus of both organizations. […]

Transactions: Excelin Health Acquires On My Care; Baylor Scott & White Health, Contessa Partner

Excelin Health expands California footprint Excelin Health — a home health and hospice platform — has acquired On My Care. The Fremont, California-based On My Care is an agency that offers skilled nursing, physical, occupational, and speech therapy, as well as social worker and home aide services. The deal further expands Excelin’s footprint in California, […]

Contessa Sees Home-Based Palliative Care as ‘Linchpin’ of Business

Contessa Health’s leaders see palliative care as the true linchpin of their business and have plans to grow the segment in the near future. Though Amedisys Inc. (Nasdaq: AMED) purchased Contessa last year, it has allowed the company to operate independently, which has enabled Contessa leaders to maintain focus on their own growth trajectory, particularly […]

Payment ‘Patchwork’ Limiting Near-Term Scalability of Home-Based Palliative Care

Home-based palliative care is an untapped business opportunity for many home health and hospice providers in the U.S., but multiple factors continue to hinder near-term scalability. Data on the availability of home-based palliative care is limited, so it’s difficult to pinpoint just how large the market really is. Experts familiar with the space have previously […]

Transactions: Amedisys Finalizes Several Acquisitions; Vistria Invests in PHCN

Amedisys completes a series of acquisitions Amedisys Inc. (Nasdaq: AMED) recently completed a number of acquisitions. The company announced that it has completed its purchase of Evolution Health and certain home health assets from AssistedCare Home Health and AssistedCare of the Carolinas. Amedisys delivers a number of offerings including home health, hospice, personal care and […]