But even as the home health industry plays its part in responding to new infection spikes across parts of the country, it has never been more important to stay ahead of the curve. To remain competitive in coming months and beyond, agencies must identify the key trends that will help or hurt their businesses.

Yes, the coronavirus will continue to shape home-based care in 2021, especially when it comes to technology adoption, policy and outside investment. The Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) will likewise come back into the spotlight.

Each January, Home Health Care News tries to predict some of the top trends for the coming 12 months. That task may never be more complicated than it is right now.

Investment in home-based care will reach new heights.

This prediction probably goes without saying, but investment in home health care will reach new heights in 2021, with interest driven by private and public payers alike.

Prior to 2020, home health operators spent years trying to explain the value of their services to private payers and Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. Despite those outreach efforts, most providers have still struggled with non-competitive rates and strict limits around utilization.

But to keep high-risk populations healthy, payers had to increasingly turn to home health care during the COVID-19 emergency, giving providers an improved bargaining position. In one success story, for example, LHC Group Inc. (Nasdaq: LHCG) was able to grow its non-Medicare episodic admissions by about 35% in 2020, with the majority of those admissions coming at a Medicare-equivalent rate.

“Last year, we had been more engaged with our payers than ever before,” LHC Group President Joshua Proffitt noted at a recent investor conference.

In a November survey of 76 health plan executives from CareCentrix and KRC Research, 97% of respondents said they believed more care at home is better for both their organizations and their members. A similarly high percentage said they believed treating members at home is more cost effective than facility-based care.

As more private payers invest in home health care, “total cost of care” will become the most important metric for providers to track.

From a public perspective, federal and state-level policymakers will also aggressively search for new ways to invest in home- and community-based care. That could simply mean allocating more money for home health agencies as part of the annual payment update, but it could also mean updating post-acute care policies to shift more patients away from skilled nursing facilities (SNFs).

“The tragic devastation wrought by the coronavirus on nursing home residents exposes America’s over-reliance on institutional long-term care facilities,” CMS Administrator Seema Verma said in a September announcement. “Residential care will always be an essential part of the care continuum, but our goal must always be to give residents options that help keep our loved ones in their own homes and communities for as long as possible.”

Along with payers, private equity groups will maintain their laser-sharp focus on home health investments in 2021.

There will be a turf war over the home.

More money flowing into home-based care and a brighter spotlight will naturally breed more competition. As a result, traditional home health agencies will need to find their footing in a new, more crowded ecosystem.

The hospital-at-home model is a good example of this idea.

In response to acute care capacity challenges, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched a new hospital-at-home waiver in late 2020, granting hospitals “unprecedented” flexibility to care for patients in the home setting.

As of Jan. 13, there were at least 80 hospital participants in the initiative. 

To work, hospital-at-home programs require hands-on care and other services, including remote patient monitoring. In many ways, the concept adds to what home health agencies already do, especially those with a history of caring for high-acuity populations.

The same could be said for emerging SNF-at-home programs.

Moving forward, home health operators will need to make sure they’re not being overshadowed by specialized hospital-at-home or SNF-at-home models. Cindy Krafft, owner and founder of Kornetti & Krafft Health Care Solutions, said it best during a recent HHCN webinar.

“I’m not a fan of ‘hospital at home’ or ‘SNF at home’ as a designation or evolution,” Krafft said. “I think home care is home care, and it doesn’t need to be ‘another setting came to your house.’ We’re already there. As we look at what other models can do for managing different types of patients, I think we’ve already shown what we can do.”

It’s not just hospital-at-home and SNF-at-home models. Seemingly countless home-focused health care startups are popping up, too, with in-home urgent care models particularly gaining lots of attention.

Home health operators have fought long and hard to “own the home.” In 2021, they’ll need to fight for that ownership.

Patient-acuity levels will continue rising, forcing agencies to become more specialized.

There is a common misconception that home health agencies only treat younger patients in relatively stable, good condition. That hasn’t been true for a long time.

First of all, individuals who utilize home health services are older than the broader universe of Medicare patients. Roughly one out of every four home health patients is over the age of 85, while just 10.9% of the overall Medicare population is over that age, according to the 2020 Home Health Chartbook.

At the same time, nearly half of all home health users suffer from five or more chronic conditions, such as asthma, arthritis, diabetes or heart disease. Just 22.4% of all Medicare beneficiaries suffer from that many chronic conditions all at once.

Home health users are additionally more likely to live alone and have two or more functional limitations.

These and other statistics reflect the high-acuity profile of most home health patients. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and hospitals rushing individuals back home to preserve capacity, that profile is only growing more acute — and that’s a boon for providers.

“Where I see the most acceleration going forward is in higher-acuity home care,” Susan Diamond, home care business president at Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM), told HHCN in December. “Physicians are starting to embrace the delivery of hospital-level and skilled nursing care in the home. In the past, physicians were more inclined to refer a patient to a facility setting.”

To keep up with rising acuity, home health agencies will need to become even more specialized, with dedicated programs addressing respiratory health, wound care, heart health and more.

Fortunately, PDGM gave many operators a head start.

Policymakers will take a sledgehammer to the traditional home health benefit.

The home health benefit under Medicare has been as rigid as a slab of concrete. But health care thought leaders are starting to chip away at that block in recognition of home health providers’ versatile capabilities.

At one time, home health care was a service people received after leaving the hospital or another institutional care setting. Today, home health agencies regularly help their patients stay out of the hospital or a SNF in the first place.

According to the most recent data on Medicare discharge patterns, roughly one-third of home health episodes are preceded by an institutional stay. That means two-thirds of all home health episodes — the vast majority — come from the community.

Home health care isn’t just becoming more “pre-acute.” As previously noted, it’s also becoming “more acute” — and an important cog in the hospital-at-home and SNF-at-home machines.

In 2020, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) started to reimagine the home health benefit to reflect this wider spectrum.

“I think one of the interesting challenges of home health is that it seems to be evolving into multiple types of care,” MedPAC commissioner Amol Navathe, co-director of the Healthcare Transformation Institute at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine, said at a December meeting. “We’ve heard already that there are developments in hospital-at-home, how many of the [alternative payment models] models like bundled payments are starting to shift patients from SNF to home health, which perhaps means that the acuity of patients in the home health care setting is also evolving, to some extent.”

With more attention on in-home care than ever before, policymakers will look to take a sledge hammer to the existing rigid home health benefit.

It may not happen in 2021, but soon the home health benefit will look very, very different. 

The age of telehealth will finally begin.

“I don’t think that the telehealth toothpaste is going back into the tube.”

“Telehealth visits are powerful tools that can help keep our patients and our employees safe.”

“We need Congress to amend Medicare law to directly authorize fair payment for the delivery of telehealth services under the home health benefit.”

These are just a few of the quotes HHCN gathered in 2020 touting the value of telehealth and virtual visits.

Despite the tragedy and devastation brought on by the coronavirus, the public health emergency accelerated the pace of home health innovation by a decade. To preserve personal protective equipment (PPE) and minimize exposure risks, operators across the industry have turned to telehealth with resounding success.

LHC Group, for example, went from about 176,000 telehealth and virtual visits in the first quarter of 2020 to more than 261,000 in Q2. The Los Angeles-based American Homecare Health Services used telehealth to help grow its patient census by about 10% while operating in one of the biggest COVID-19 hotspots in the country.

For the most part, this home health shift has been financed out of agencies’ own pockets. As things still stand as of January 2021, Congress has not yet given CMS the green light to directly reimburse for in-home virtual care.

But that may soon happen.

In October, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) introduced the Home Health Emergency Access to Telehealth (HEAT) Act, a bipartisan bill to provide Medicare reimbursement for audio and video telehealth services furnished by home health agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic and future public health emergencies. A companion bill was also introduced in the House.

While neither piece of legislation has made it out of committee, this kind of common-sense issue is the perfect bridge for a deeply divided government. In light of the recent Washington, D.C., turmoil, lawmakers will want to quickly show American voters that they can still work together — and there’s no better, nonpartisan way to do that than by passing the HEAT Act.

Once that happens, it will be arguably the most important domino to fall in ushering in a new age of telehealth.

That ‘historic’ M&A activity we predicted for 2020? It’s still coming.

Two years ago, home health M&A experts believed the implementation of PDGM and changes to Requests for Anticipated Payment (RAPs) would lead to a “historic” number of transactions. Smaller agencies wouldn’t be able to survive all the cash-flow disruptions coming at one time, they speculated.

Well, that wave of deals never really materialized. New operational flexibilities, government stimulus money and other COVID-19 lifelines created a “sugar high” for some of the operators that may have otherwise sought to exit the market.

Now, 2021 will be the year that 2020 was supposed to be, Amedisys Inc. (Nasdaq: AMED) CEO Paul Kusserow told HHCN in December.

“The disruption from the implementation of PDGM and impact from the reduction (and in 2021 the full elimination) of the RAP was largely mitigated by Cares Act funds that helped to support the broader health care space,” Kusserow said. “Once the Public Health Emergency is over and there is no more Cares Act or additional government support, the impact that we thought we would see in 2020 will play out in 2021 – fewer players with more market share.

There have already been signs of that playing out as the industry has stabilized from COVID-19’s impact.

Overall, the fourth quarter of 2020 saw at least 17 deals for home health assets, data from M&A advisory firm Mertz Taggart shows. That’s the most home health deals in a single quarter since Q3 of 2018.

The post Top Home Health Trends for 2021 appeared first on Home Health Care News.

We’ll be releasing the results of this survey to all readers in early January.

All responses gathered will remain confidential, and your information will not be used in any identifiable manner. The first 150 participants who complete the survey will receive a $5 Starbucks eGift card.

The post We Want Your Input — 2021 Outlook Survey appeared first on Home Health Care News.

Over the past several months, in-home care providers of all shapes and sizes have had to become especially creative while promoting their services to clients, patients and referral sources.

In many cases, those marketing and advertising efforts have had to also serve as education, helping people understand the true value of home-based care in the midst of an ongoing public health crisis.

“This is a time when in-home care — from Medicare-certified home health care to non-medical home care — is at a premium,” Aging Media Network Executive Vice President George Yedinak said. “Our goal is to help recognize the people and companies who put at-home care in the spotlight in incredible ways.”

As part of that mission, Aging Media Network and HHCN have launched the first annual Aspect Marketing and Advertising Awards program. In addition to marketing and advertising, the Aspect Awards will recognize outstanding work in public relations.

The awards program started Nov. 2, with submissions being accepted through Jan. 15. Winners will be announced on March 15 at 12 p.m. CT.

Submissions can include multimedia, print, billboard and direct-mail campaigns, as well as marketing and advertising in the form of radio ads or podcast segments. Other examples include social media campaigns, rebranding efforts and new brand launches.

Outstanding work around COVID-19 messaging and communication will likewise be accepted.

“As much as we write about in-home primary care, home health, home care and more on a daily basis, there are a lot of people out there who only think of ‘health care’ or ‘senior care’ as something that happens in a facility,” HHCN editor Bob Holly said. “The industry has worked very hard to change those misconceptions and raise awareness.”

Along with home-based care, the Aspect Awards will recognize the very best in marketing and advertising in the senior housing and skilled nursing facility (SNF) spaces. Campaigns highlighting the value of hospice and palliative care will also be considered.

Entrants may be providers or vendors in each respective category and entry type.

For more information about the 2021 Aspect Awards program, visit: https://aspectawards.agingmedia.com.

The post HHCN to Highlight Best Marketing and Advertising in Home-Based Care appeared first on Home Health Care News.

To help shine a light on those partners, Home Health Care News is hosting its first Demo Day on June 18. During the virtual event, nearly a dozen in-home care software and technology companies will showcase their latest solutions while recapping how they’ve had to evolve during the COVID-19 crisis.

For an inside look at the virtual Demo Day, HHCN recently caught up with Aging Media Network Executive Vice President George Yedinak. Highlights from that conversation are below, edited for length and clarity.

Sign up to see the latest demos from participating companies and get a chance to ask how these solutions can help you thrive in this quickly changing environment. 

HHCN: To start, why launch Demo Day?

Yedinak: HHCN is hosting our first Demo Day on June 18 for a variety of reasons. It’s coming up in a few weeks, but we already have nearly a dozen participants signed up to showcase their latest solutions and highlight how they can help home-based care providers now and in the future.

We put this project — virtual event — together to address some inefficiencies in the marketplace today. There is obviously a lack of in-person events. But there is certainly still interest in connecting with new partners and the technologies they offer to providers.

So, that’s really the genesis behind Demo Day: to create an opportunity for industry participants to connect and discover new products and new solutions that can help their providers in day-to-day operations.

You touched on this a little bit, but why launch this event now? Why is the time right?

The timing is incredibly important. People are confined to certain spaces. But they still need to figure out how to run their businesses better amid COVID, the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) and other pressures in the marketplace.

Demo Day provides a brief, 20-minute window of opportunity for someone to come in, meet some potential partners in the software and technology realms, and learn how their solutions can apply to that individual’s business. And Demo Day is really more of an appetizer. What we’re offering to our partners and our audience is the ability to have an appetizer, look at something, digest it and decide if they want the full meal — and connect afterwards for a larger discussion or longer demonstration.

How many participants do you have on tap for Demo Day?

We currently have 10 partners — possibly more coming — providing a variety of solutions for home health and home care providers. Hospice providers will probably get value out of the event as well. We expect these 10 companies to provide a snapshot into their solutions and talk about some of the business challenges that they’re helping with.

Some participants are providing a high-level solutions overview. Others are demoing a particular new feature or functionality of an existing system many providers are familiar with. It’s a good opportunity for not only new, prospective customers, but existing customers of these companies to get a glimpse as to what they’re working on or what new features they might be releasing, especially in response to COVID.

What’s the range of the participants, so to speak?

We have a range of solutions that are out there — everything from full-service EHR platforms and CRM systems, to customer-connectivity software and patient-experience tools. There will be a variety of other functionalities that help support the marketplace today, too.

We’re pleased to see that we have a variety of partners showcasing different products and solutions.

If I’m a provider interested in tuning into Demo Day or learning more. What’s my next step?

The next step is to simply register via the Demo Day event page. Registration is free, and you can select the specific demos you want to participate in. All the demos will be done in one day. But in the event that you don’t have time on a given day or at a given time, you can log back into the virtual event system for 90 days and review all the important information.

Will there be another Demo Day later this year?

Given the response we’ve seen from our audience and the industry, I certainly believe that we could see other opportunities for Demo Days down the road. Stay tuned for details.

To register for Demo Day, click here or visit https://demoday.homehealthcarenews.com/

For more information on participating in a future Demo Day, please email Gordon Hunt at ghunt@agingmedia.com

The post HHCN Launches Virtual Demo Day to Connect Home-Based Care Providers to Tech Solutions appeared first on Home Health Care News.

Search for state, regional and national positions that include providers, agencies, health systems and industry professionals supporting the businesses of home health care, private duty and hospice care. Browse and apply now.

Do you have positions you need to fill?
Post your job openings now to find candidates amongst the 21,000 HHCN subscribers.

Check out the latest job postings:

• Chief Operations Officer – Family Resource Home Care (Washington, USA)
• Director of Nursing – Affinity Home Care (Pompano Beach, FL)
• Chief Financial Officer – FirstLight Home Care (Cincinnati, OH)
• RN Clinical Supervisor – Capitol Home Health & Hospice (Austin, TX)
• Hospice Clinical Supervisor – Abode Hospice & Home Health (Denver, CO)
• Hospice Clinical Manager – Hospice of the Midwest (Woodbury, MN)
• Registered Nurse Clinical Manager – Recover Health (Janesville, WI)
• CEO Tower Home Health – Reading Hospital – Tower Health (Wyomissing, PA)
• Licensed Vocational Nurse – Captiol Home Health & Hospice (Austin, TX)
• Vice President of Hospice & Palliative Care – Axxess (Raleigh, NC)
• Remote Coding & OASIS Reviewer – BerryDunn (Portland, ME)
• Register Nurse (RN) – Capitol Home Health & Hospice (Austin, TX)

The post New Jobs Posted on the Job Board – C-Suite Execs, DONs and More appeared first on Home Health Care News.

The Capital + Strategy Forum, overlooking Capitol Hill, will bring together industry executives on March 25 for a full day of panels and speakers. The event and venue provides a modern space with incredible views fit for intimate discussions with business partners and networking with industry leaders in the home health, home care, and hospice sectors.

Panel Topics to Include:

Washington, D.C. Insiders Fireside Chat

Private Equity and Venture Capitalist Q&A

Medicare Advantage – How the Big Plans are Looking at Home Care

Partnerships for Scaling Your Platform

And more …

-Sponsors-

Interested in sponsoring Capital + Strategy? Email events@agingmedia.com

The post Capital + Strategy Event — Buy Tickets Today appeared first on Home Health Care News.

While you’re creating your advertising and marketing budget, remember to work with Home Health Care News (HHCN) next year to put your company’s products and services in front of thousands of home health, home care and hospice professionals every day. Reach them in 2020 with our advertising and marketing programs delivering brand awareness, thought leadership and actionable sales leads through products and services that include:

– Email, Web and Mobile Advertising
– Webinars
– White Papers
– Email Blasts
– Live events

Home Health Care News has the platform and tools to achieve your goals in 2020. Click here to download our media kit, simply reply to this email or call us at 312-268-2420 to learn about how you can get started.

The post Download Our 2020 Media Kit Today appeared first on Home Health Care News.

Panel topics to include:

Post Mortem PDGM – How the Landscape has Changed

The Future of Unified Payment Models

Private Equity and Venture Capitalist Q&A

Medicare Advantage – How the Big Plans are Looking at Home Care

Controlling Patients Along the Continuum

Washington DC Insiders Fireside Chat

If you’re interested in sponsoring Capital + Strategy, email us for more details at events@agingmedia.com

The post Join Us At The Capital + Strategy Event — March 2020 appeared first on Home Health Care News.

Candidates who submitted entries for consideration in this year’s contest are vying for top honors across three categories: Home Health, Home Care (Private duty) and Vendors & Professional Services.

A panel of industry experts judged submissions based on leadership qualities, innovation and entrepreneurial experience, industry advocacy, ethics and professionalism.

The winner from each category will be announced Sept. 18.

Introducing the 2019 finalists (in alphabetical order):

Home Health:

• Andrew Gentile — Division Director of Strategy and Innovation, BAYADA Home Health Care
• Darcie Peacock — CEO, Solace Pediatric Home Healthcare
• Nick Muscato — Vice President of Strategic Finance, Amedisys

Home Care (Private Duty):

• Bob Roth — Managing Partner, Cypress HomeCare Solutions
• Gavin Ward — Regional Director of Strategy and Partnerships, 24 Hour Home Care
• Kerri Pendley — Director of Healthcare Strategy, FirstLight Home Care

Vendors & Professional Services:

• Adrian Schauer — CEO and Founder, AlayaCare
• Steven C. Fox — Medical Director, Wellspring Personal Care
• Wes Little — Vice President of Applied Insights, WellSky

This year’s judges bring a wealth of experience in home health care. The judging panel includes:

• Ashish Shah — President and CEO, PreparedHealth
• Bailey Bryant — Reporter, Home Health Care News
• Robert Holly — Editor, Home Health Care News
• Will Boyd — Program Director of Revenue Cycle Outsourcing, BlackTree Healthcare Consulting
• William J. Simione, III — Managing Principal, Simione Healthcare Consultants

We want to thank all of the candidates who submitted to the 2019 Future Leaders Awards. The 2019 nominees include (in alphabetical order):

Home Health

• Alexander Koshevatsky — President and COO, Healthflex Home Health Services
• Andrew Gentile — Division Director of Strategy and Innovation, BAYADA Home Health Care
• Darcie Peacock — CEO, Solace Pediatric Home Healthcare
• Emily Weichmann — Clinical Program Manager, ComForCare Franchise Systems
• Ernesto Moreno — Executive Director of Home Care and Hospice, Overlook Visiting Nurse Association
• Jason Sasser — Vice President of Clinical Strategies, HealthPRO Heritage
• Kris Novak — Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions, Amedisys
• Nick Muscato — Vice President of Strategic Finance, Amedisys

Home Care (Private Duty):

• Allen Serfas — President and Co-Founder, Assistance Home Care
• Ashley Hill — Senior Director of Home Care and Support Services, Institute on Aging
• Bear Mahon — President and COO, CaraVita Home Care, LLC
• Bob Roth — Managing Partner, Cypress HomeCare Solutions
• Christina Canitano — Senior Sales Executive, Seniorbridge by Humana
• Gavin Ward — Regional Director of Strategy and Partnerships, 24 Hour Home Care
• Jennifer Osmanaj — Division Director of Skilled Nursing Unit, BAYADA Home Health Care
• Kerri Pendley — Director of Healthcare Strategy, FirstLight Home Care
• Kristen Beals — Director of Towanda Pediatrics, BAYADA Home Health Care
• Kristie Voyda — Director of Indiana County Pediatrics, BAYADA Home Health Care
• Mary Jo Dietrich — President and Owner, At Home Senior Services
• Michael Ferraina — CEO, JEVS Care at Home
• Michael Rambaud — Area Director of Home Care/Assistive Care, BAYADA Home Health Care
• Pamela Reynolds — President, Allegiance Aging Care Services
• Sheila Davis — Senior Executive Vice President of Area Operations, Always Best Care Services

Vendors Professional Services

• Adrian Schauer — CEO and Founder, AlayaCare
• Bailey Paxton — Founder, Agilecare
• Emina Poricanin — Partner, Hodgson Russ LLP
• Michael Lloyd — Client Success Manager and Product Specialist, Playmaker Health
• Steven C. Fox — Medical Director, Wellspring Personal Care
• Wes Little — Vice President of Applied Insights, WellSky

For more information about the awards, visit homehealthcarenews.com/futureleaders

About the HHCN Future Leaders Awards

The Home Health Care News (HHCN) Future Leaders Awards program recognizes the next generation of leaders in the home care, home health, private duty and hospice industries. This independently judged awards program provides opportunities for companies and organizations to showcase the talent and contributions their key employees are making. Visit homehealthcarenews.com/futureleaders for more information.

About Aging Media Network/Home Health Care News

Aging Media Network is an innovative publishing company based in Chicago, Illinois, and is the publisher of Home Health Care News, Reverse Mortgage Daily, Senior Housing News, and Skilled Nursing News. 

Home Health Care News (HHCN) is the leading source for news and information covering the home health industry. HHCN boasts an audience that includes the home care world specifically, from large, national service providers to independent care companies.

Visit https://homehealthcarenews.com for more information.

The post HHCN Announces Future Leaders Awards Finalists appeared first on Home Health Care News.

Starting next year, CMS opens the floodgates for MA plans to cover non-medical, in-home care. The move in Medicare toward value-based models has increased insurers’ focus on delivering better health outcomes at a lower cost.

Those are the two hallmarks of Medicare Advantage — and the traits that CMS is betting home care providers can deliver.

In this 33-page report, you will learn:

• The five key challenges home care providers will face in MA
• Why MA plans now see value in home care providers due to reduced hospitalizations and readmissions for seniors
• A five-step process for finding MA plans that offer specific supplemental benefits related to home care, including instructions on how to comb through CMS.gov
• Why personal care will be the most sought after non-medical service in MA
• What the next few years will hold for home care in MA, from the 2020 expansion to the 2021 boom
• And much more!

The post New Report: The New Medicare Advantage Opportunity in Home Care appeared first on Home Health Care News.