BREAKING NEWS: Health (2)

Experts recommend cascade screening over universal lipid screening for familial hypercholesterolemia

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 16:18:19 +0000

The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) was commissioned by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) to assess the benefit of universal blood lipid screening for the early detection of familial hypercholesterolemia in children and adolescents.

First 'blueprint' of human skeletal development offers new insights into bone formation

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 14:26:03 +0000

The first 'blueprint' of human skeletal development reveals how the skeleton forms, shedding light on the process of arthritis, and highlighting cells involved in conditions that affect skull and bone growth.

Ingestible capsule releases a burst of drugs directly into the walls of the GI tract

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 14:01:00 +0000

Inspired by the way that squids use jets to propel themselves through the ocean and shoot ink clouds, researchers from MIT and Novo Nordisk have developed an ingestible capsule that releases a burst of drugs directly into the wall of the stomach or other organs of the digestive tract.

Electrical stimulation may be essential for healthy tendons, study suggests

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 13:40:58 +0000

A new study by researchers at the University of Galway and the University of Limerick suggests that electrical stimulation might be essential for tendons to maintain their health, offering fresh possibilities in tendon repair and regeneration.

Breakthrough discovery could lead to novel malaria vaccines and therapies

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 13:34:23 +0000

Malaria, particularly in its severe forms, remains a global health and economic burden. It causes the deaths of more than 600,000 people every year – most of them African children under five.

Study links prenatal immune activity to Alzheimer's risk in later life

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 13:19:33 +0000

Findings from a Mass General Brigham-led study that has followed participants since before birth may offer clues about the origins of Alzheimer's disease.

ProductLife Group (PLG) Acquires Halloran

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 12:59:00 +0000

ProductLife Group (PLG), a trusted global leader in regulatory, scientific, compliance, and digital transformation consulting services for the life sciences, today announced the acquisition of Halloran Consulting Group.

Study: One in five ex-smokers currently vape in England

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 12:27:49 +0000

About one in five people who have stopped smoking for more than a year in England currently vape, equivalent to 2.2 million people, according to a new study led by UCL (University College London) researchers.

Small brain-penetrating molecule offers hope for treating aggressive brain tumors

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 12:26:00 +0000

Gliocidin selectively kills glioblastoma cells by inhibiting nucleotide synthesis, showing potential as a therapeutic option in combination with temozolomide.

AI could detect Parkinson's disease by analyzing subtle changes in voice

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 12:20:39 +0000

Algorithms that can detect subtle changes in a person's voice are emerging as a potential new diagnostic tool for Parkinson's disease, according to researchers from Iraq and Australia.

Diagnosing Diabetes At Younger Age Increases Dementia Risk: Study

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 07:08:03 +0000

With each year earlier a person is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, their risk of developing dementia rises by 1.9%.

Are BPA Alternatives Safe? Study Finds BPF And BPS May Pose Health Risks

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 06:26:51 +0000

New research reveals that BPF (bisphenol F)and BPS (bisphenol s), commonly used as BPA substitutes, may pose health risks.

Postpartum Depression Rates Doubled In A Decade, Prevalence 'High And Rising' In U.S.: Study

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 05:58:37 +0000

The prevalence significantly rose from 9.4 percent in 2010 to 19 percent in 2021, with higher rates observed particularly among individuals with elevated pre-pregnancy body mass index.

Weight-loss drug reduces risk of early death for patients with heart failure, trial finds

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 00:31:42 +0000

Weight-loss and diabetes drug tirzepatide can reduce the risk of death or worsening heart failure for patients with obesity and heart failure with preserved pump function, new research reveals.

Cannabis disrupts brain activity in young adults prone to psychosis

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 00:30:38 +0000

Young adults at risk of psychosis show reduced brain connectivity, a deficit that cannabis use appears to worsen, a new study has found. The breakthrough paves the way for psychosis treatments targeting symptoms that current medications miss.

Why PE Firm Trive Capital Still Believes Home Health Is A Great Investment Area

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 22:13:32 +0000

In recent years, Choice Health at Home has shaped up to be a company to watch in the home health space, and Trive Capital is one of its backers.

Based in Dallas, Trive Capital is a private equity firm that has increasingly invested in the health care space.

Brad Wiginton, managing director and head of business development at Trive Capital, recently connected with Home Health Care News at the FUTURE conference to dive deep on his company’s strategy.

During the conversation, Wiginton also explained why Trive Capital believes there’s still major opportunities in the home health space.

HHCN: You’re invested in home health care through Choice Health at Home. Your investments also include behavioral health and primary care. Why those service lines, specifically?

Wiginton: As generalists, we’re pretty opportunistic. A lot of the situations that we dig into are what we consider defensible niches. Our primary care business, it’s a VA-focused business and serves a niche. It is really one of the dominant players in that niche.

What we try to look for is differentiation and something that has a significant role and presence in our market that we think is both defensible and has longer-term tailwinds. On the behavioral health side, there’s a lot of different areas and aspects to play in that market.

You invested in Choice prior to rate cuts over the last few years. Why do you still think there’s opportunity in home health care in general?

I think that when we entered the choice investment, PDGM had just been announced. We think about regulatory, more broadly, as having some level of visibility about dramatic changes that are going to completely reshuffle the deck. That was something that, from a timing perspective, made sense. I think that while there may be continued near-term pressures, what we see is at the end of the day, folks are going to continue to drive and need to do more at home. I think that having a diverse portfolio — at Choice we’re not just in skilled home health, but also have hospice and personal care — has served us well as we navigate rate cuts in certain areas of our market. I think that really the outlook around long-term growth is what we’re more focused on.

Why was Choice an opportune provider to go after, at the time you did?

Home health was actually a segment that we’ve been looking to invest in for several years. It’s obviously a very fragmented market despite years of consolidation. While we’ve seen a lot of different home health and hospice providers over time, I think for us, it was finding a backable team that had the proven ability to grow and scale.

A lot of folks here have the opportunity and blessing to get to know [Choice CEO] David Jackson. The team that he had already put around him, as well as what he’d been able to accomplish prior to us investing – starting within rehab, developing home health and entering hospice. Right as we were working with him, he was exploring a significant JV. It was very different from a lot of operators that we had seen and looked at in the past.

What’s the value in having the full continuum in the home?

When you think about your loved ones, you want to have a trusted partner to take care of [them]. There’s an element, for sure, of trying to be folks’ trusted partner for their seniors. That may start with something more basic, like personal care services, and evolve into something greater.

Choice has been able to care for multiple members of the Trive family. Wherever they are in their journey to care for loved ones and friends — they’ve been able to meet that need. Having that relationship is really beneficial.

When I first connected with Choice, in 2021, they were far smaller than they are now. What can capital do for a provider like that? What are some of the do’s and don’ts?

In picking a capital partner, there’s a wide range of what that can look like.

Choice was a really Texas-focused business. One of the things we’ve been able to do is to enter additional markets, but with a focused approach. Instead of spreading out to 10 states all over the country, we’ve been very focused on the Southwest and scale and density within our markets.

Growth doesn’t happen just in a straight line. One of the things that we’ve experienced is a focused time of M&A, where we focused on building the bones and what we’re trying to create. Then really taking a step back, integrating these businesses, getting them on the same EMR and getting consistent processes across different markets and regions. We’re really excited about a lot of the de novo and things that we’re doing to densify in our key markets. There’s kind of that ebb and flow of how you approach growth. For us, we want to do it in a balanced way where we’re not just growing through M&A, but also through opening new markets here, and adjacent to our current markets.

Would you consider other home-based care investments in the future? Is there anything you’re looking for right now?

Our focus today within home health is Choice, and we’re really excited about what we’re building there. As an investor, it’s hard not to imagine what, down the road, you might do when given the opportunity.

The post Why PE Firm Trive Capital Still Believes Home Health Is A Great Investment Area appeared first on Home Health Care News.

Medicaid ‘At Risk’ Under Incoming Administration, According To CMS Leader

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 22:08:59 +0000

The Medicaid program could face significant challenges under the Trump administration, according to Dan Tsai, the deputy administrator and director of the Center for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Services. He expressed these concerns during a leadership update call from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Wednesday.

“Medicaid is so important across the country,” Tsai said. “Over one in five Americans get their health care coverage through us. We are leaving the program stronger today than where we started four years ago, but that progress is at risk.”

Tsai specifically opposed the introduction of work requirements or block grants for the program, arguing that they would create excessive bureaucratic hurdles.

“They are just plain bad policy not backed up by facts and evidence. And the cost will be people’s lives and health across the country,” he said.

The Trump administration has indicated that these requirements and grants may be introduced during President Trump’s next term.

Tsai’s concerns follow President Trump’s appointment of Dr. Mehmet Oz to lead CMS and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services.

During the call, CMS leadership highlighted the agency’s accomplishments over the last four years. These included recovering from the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting the resumption of regular Medicaid and CHIP renewals after a three-year hiatus, and implementing provisions of the American Rescue Plan, the Inflation Reduction Act, the Affordable Care Act and other legislation.

Agency leaders reported that, despite these challenges, CMS has successfully increased health coverage to a historic high. By the end of 2024, approximately 45 million Americans are expected to have coverage under the Affordable Care Act, including Marketplace plans, Medicaid expansion, and basic health plans. This represents an increase of 14.1 million people since 2021, amounting to a 46% rise.

Most consumers qualify for $0 premiums or save an average of $800 annually on premiums, Dr. Ellen Montz, director of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, said.

Investment in home- and community-based services and value-based care

Over the past four years, CMS has implemented a series of initiatives aimed at strengthening and improving access to home- and community-based services (HCBS). These actions allow states to address existing HCBS structural issues, such as supporting the direct care workforce, expanding critical service capacities, meeting the needs of individuals on HCBS waiting lists and supporting family caregivers.

Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, states reportedly plan to invest $37.1 billion in initiatives to enhance, expand or strengthen HCBS. Most of this funding will go toward recruiting and retaining direct care workers, which includes increasing wages, establishing career development pathways and creating registries to connect individuals receiving HCBS with providers.

Alternative payment models reward providers for delivering patient-centered, high-quality and affordable care. In 2021, CMS set a goal for all individuals with traditional Medicare and most with Medicaid to be in an accountable care relationship with their health care provider by 2030. CMS leaders reported that as of 2024, approximately 13.7 million people with traditional Medicare are aligned with an accountable care organization, representing a 3% increase from 2023.

Additionally, CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure announced that this would be her final stakeholder call as administrator for the Biden-Harris administration.

“We always describe our accomplishments in broad terms; our efforts together impact over 160 million people, and it’s a significant responsibility,” she said. “Thanks to your dedication, we have achieved record-high enrollment across the three M’s. This is a tremendous achievement of which we should all be proud. It is our mission to enhance the care received by individuals in our programs – care that our neighbors and families depend on.”

The post Medicaid ‘At Risk’ Under Incoming Administration, According To CMS Leader appeared first on Home Health Care News.

Former Home Health Owner Sentenced To Prison For Role In Near-$8 Million Fraud Scheme

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 22:08:52 +0000

The former owner of a home health company was sentenced to three years and five months in prison last week for his role in a nearly $8 million fraud scheme.

Specifically, Muhammad Zafar – of Wayne County, Michigan – offered kickbacks, bribes and other “inducements” to beneficiary recruiters in exchange for Medicare beneficiary information, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

“Zafar and his co-conspirators used this information to bill Medicare for services that were medically unnecessary and not provided,” the DOJ statement read. “Zafar pleaded guilty to submitting approximately $393,500 in claims to Medicare from his home health care company for services that were medically unnecessary, ineligible for Medicare reimbursement, and not provided as represented.”

On May 29, Zafar pleaded guilty to “conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud.”

He initially appeared in court in 2015, but then violated a court-issued bond. He crossed the border to Canada, and then flew to Pakistan. He was an “international fugitive” for seven and a half years before returning to the U.S. to face charges.

The Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Detroit FBI investigated the case.

Home health fraud impacts the entire industry. Not only does it create general distrust, but it also can impact payment for other providers and paint a false picture of adequate access.

“I think it has pulled the home health care community together to act in a high level of collaboration, in order to demonstrate to both Congress and CMS that we can be effective, and trustworthy partners,” former National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) President William A. Dombi previously told Home Health Care News. “Likewise, we’ve seen the same thing happen on the hospice side of it. It has helped unite providers of services.”

The post Former Home Health Owner Sentenced To Prison For Role In Near-$8 Million Fraud Scheme appeared first on Home Health Care News.

Mapping of atherosclerotic plaque cells may predict future risk of stroke or heart attack

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 19:48:26 +0000

Researchers show that genetic traits influence the cellular composition of atherosclerotic plaques, which over time will affect the risk of such lesions to cause a stroke or heart attack. The new knowledge can be used to improve the risk assessment and treatment of patients with atherosclerosis in the future.

Research team develops novel biomimetic speaking valve technology

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 18:39:42 +0000

A research team has developed a novel biomimetic speaking valve technology that could significantly increase the safety of tracheostomized patients.

Recycled pacemakers function as well as new devices, international study suggests

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:26:50 +0000

Recycled pacemakers can function as well as new devices, according to a new study. These used and reconditioned devices have the potential to increase access to pacemaker therapy in low- and middle-income countries, where many patients cannot afford the treatment.

Synchronized movement between robots and humans builds trust, study finds

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:24:48 +0000

Trust between humans and robots is improved when the movement between both is harmonized, researchers have discovered.

Seeing memories form

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:23:24 +0000

Resembling a seahorse, as its name implies from the Greek words 'hippos' (horse) and 'kampus' (sea monster), the hippocampus is a brain region crucial for memory formation. But until recently, scientists have not been able to link memory formation to distinct molecular signals. Now, a team of scientists likely opened this black box.

New study shows promising results for COPD treatment

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:23:22 +0000

A new study shows that a form of vitamin B3 can reduce lung inflammation in COPD patients. The researchers hope it will pave the way for new treatment options.

Key strategies against drug-resistant prostate cancer

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:23:16 +0000

An enzyme called EZH2 has an unexpected role in driving aggressive tumor growth in treatment-resistant prostate cancers, according to a new study. The results could potentially lead to new therapies for patients with limited options and add to the significant progress the teams have made in understanding how advanced prostate cancer develops resistance to treatments that target androgen receptors.

Researchers develop clinically validated, wearable ultrasound patch for continuous blood pressure monitoring

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:21:53 +0000

A re-engineered wearable ultrasound patch for continuous and noninvasive blood pressure monitoring has undergone comprehensive clinical validation on over 100 patients, marking a major milestone in wearable technology research. The soft, stretchy patch provides precise, real-time readings of blood pressure deep within the body. It could offer a simpler and more reliable alternative to current clinical methods.

Scientists develop breakthrough culture system to unlock secrets of skin microbiome

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:21:42 +0000

The skin microbiome plays a key role in skin health and disease. While imbalances in skin microbiome composition are linked to disease, studying it has been challenging due to limited methods for culturing multiple bacterial species together. Now, scientists have developed a new medium which allows co-culturing of key skin bacteria while preserving their natural balance, opening new pathways for studying microbial interactions and skin health.

Researchers eliminate the gritty mouth feel: How to make it easier to eat fiber-rich foods

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:21:39 +0000

Fiber is something that most of us get far too little of. To change that, we need to actually enjoy eating it. Food researchers have now invented a 'disguise' that solves the problem of the dry and gritty mouth feel of fibers.

Tumor cells suffer copper withdrawal

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:21:36 +0000

While toxic in high concentrations, copper is essential to life as a trace element. Many tumors require significantly more copper than healthy cells for growth -- a possible new point of attack for cancer treatment. Medical researchers have now introduced a novel method by which copper is effectively removed from tumor cells, killing them.

Trial shows alcohol-mimicking medication can give laryngeal dystonia patients back their voice

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:19:40 +0000

Researchers have led a clinical trial of a drug that mimics the effects of alcohol in more than 100 patients with laryngeal dystonia, a neurological condition that causes involuntary muscle spasms in the larynx and can have debilitating impacts on a person's voice. The trial was inspired by patient reports that their symptoms improved after consuming alcoholic beverages.

Researchers use artificial intelligence to diagnose depression

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:18:44 +0000

Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses. As many as 280 million people worldwide are affected by this disease, which is why researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model that helps to identify depression based on both speech and brain neural activity. This multimodal approach, combining two different data sources, allows a more accurate and objective analysis of a person's emotional state, opening the door to a new phase of depression diagnosis.

Climate change and air pollution could risk 30 million lives annually by 2100

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:18:41 +0000

Mortality attributable to air pollution and extreme temperatures is a major concern, and it is expected to heighten in the future. An international research team found that, under the most probable projection, annual mortality rates linked to air pollution and extreme temperatures could reach 30 million by the end of the century. The research, based on advanced numerical simulations, suggests a concerning trend: pollution-related deaths are expected to increase five-fold, while temperature-related mortality could rise seven-fold, posing a more critical health risk than air pollution for at least 20% of the world's population.

War impacts the function of children's DNA and slows development

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:18:33 +0000

Children living in war-torn countries not only suffer from poor mental health outcomes, but war may cause adverse biological changes at the DNA level, which could have lifelong health impacts, according to a ground-breaking study.

Stopping severe malaria by harnessing natural human antibodies

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:17:38 +0000

Scientists have identified human antibodies capable of targeting the proteins responsible for severe malaria, potentially paving the way for new vaccines or treatments. Using organ-on-a-chip technology, researchers successfully demonstrated that these antibodies prevent infected red blood cells from adhering to vessel walls, a key driver of severe malaria symptoms. The antibodies neutralize a conserved region of the malarial protein PfEMP1, overcoming its notorious variability and shedding light on acquired immunity mechanisms. This interdisciplinary study, published in Nature, highlights the power of international teamwork in addressing major health challenges like malaria.

Probiotic delivers anticancer drug to the gut

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:17:36 +0000

Researchers shrink gastrointestinal tumors in mice using a yeast probiotic to deliver immunotherapy to the gut, offering a potentially novel strategy to target hard-to-reach gut cancers.

R sounds are rough, and L sounds are smooth, according to cross-cultural study

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:16:38 +0000

People around the world associate a trilled R sound with a rough texture and a jagged shape, and an L sound with smooth texture and a flat shape, according to the findings of a new study. Researchers believe this association may be more universal than the famous bouba/kiki effect.

Healthy women have cells that resemble breast cancer

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:16:09 +0000

A new study finds that, in healthy women, some breast cells that otherwise appear normal may contain chromosome abnormalities typically associated with invasive breast cancer. The findings question conventional thinking on the genetic origins of breast cancer, which could influence early cancer detection methods. The study discovered that at least 3% of normal cells from breast tissue in 49 healthy women contain a gain or loss of chromosomes, a condition known as aneuploidy, and that they expand and accumulate with age.

Cancer-like mutations in healthy cells point to origins of breast cancer

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:16:06 +0000

Researchers have pinpointed what could be the early genetic origins of breast cancer -- cancer-like mutations appearing in the cells of healthy women. In a new study, the international collaborators analyzed the genomes of more than 48,000 individual breast cells from women without cancer, using novel techniques for decoding the genes of single cells. While the vast majority of cells appeared normal, nearly all of the women harbored a small number of breast cells -- about 3 per cent -- that carried genetic alterations commonly associated with cancer. The findings suggest that these rare genetic anomalies may represent some of the earliest steps in a series of events that could culminate in breast cancer development.

Preterm birth associated with increased mortality risk into adulthood

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:16:03 +0000

Being born preterm is associated with an increased risk of death from birth until the third and fourth decades of life.

Large-scale genetic study identifies 14 genes linked to neuroticism

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 12:00:01 +0000

Neuroticism is a key personality trait described by well-established psychological theories, associated with a tendency towards emotional instability and negative emotions. Past studies found that this personality trait often goes hand in hand with various mental health disorders, as well as some chronic and severe medical conditions.

Taking Pills For Cardiovascular Diseases? They May Also Protect Against Dementia, Study Says

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 09:55:27 +0000

Researchers have found that long-term use of cardiovascular drugs, especially when used in combination, may offer protection against dementia.

What Is 'Aeronutrients'? Researchers Say You Can Breathe In Nutrients And Vitamins

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 08:08:26 +0000

A recent study investigated the concept of "aeronutrients" and the mechanisms by which they are absorbed for human health.

Avoid Late, Heavy Dinners: They Affect More Than Just Your Weight

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 05:11:51 +0000

A recent study revealed that having heavy meals late in the evening can have harmful effects, even for those without weight issues.

Brain-based visual impairment in children

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 23:18:42 +0000

Experts have identified five elements of a brain-based condition that has emerged as a leading cause of vision impairment starting in childhood in the United States and other industrialized nations. Known as cerebral (or cortical) visual impairment (CVI), some estimates suggest that at least 3% of primary school children exhibit CVI-related visual problems, which vary, but may include difficulty visually searching for an object or person or understanding a scene involving complex motion.

Cardiovascular drugs may reduce dementia risk

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 23:16:56 +0000

Common cardiovascular drugs are linked to a lower risk of dementia in older age, according to a new study.

HIV latency reversing properties in African plant

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 23:16:51 +0000

The Wistar Institute and the University of Buea in Cameroon has uncovered the mechanisms for a medicinal plant with anti-HIV potential in Croton oligandrus Pierre & Hutch, a species of African tree that has been used in traditional healing in Cameroon to treat a variety of diseases and conditions including cancers and diabetes.

Changing the definition of cerebral palsy

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 23:16:42 +0000

Defining cerebral palsy only as a childhood condition fails to acknowledge the many adults living with the disease.

Addus CEO: Trump Administration Will Likely ‘Do Away With’ Medicaid Access Rule

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 22:14:23 +0000

Addus Homecare Corp. (Nasdaq: ADUS) leaders believe that, no matter who won the recent presidential election, their company would have been set up well for the future. With that said, the Medicaid Access Rule may now be going away due to Donald Trump’s win, as well as the 80-20 provision.

“We really didn’t care so much who won the election, because we have done well historically, whether it’s a Democratic or Republican administration,” Addus CEO Dirk Allison said Tuesday at a conference hosted by the investment banking company Stephens.

Broadly, the Medicaid Access Rule was put forth by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to create more transparency in home- and community-based services (HCBS). It also included the 80-20 provision, however, which would have mandated that a certain amount of reimbursement for HCBS go toward direct care workers.

While providers thought the Medicaid Access Rule was generally good policy, most had significant gripes with the idea of wage mandates, particularly because of how much HCBS varies by state.

“Our government relations folks have been working with our various associations as we’ve talked to the Trump administration,” Allison said. “What we understand now is that during the first year of the administration, we believe that he will do away with the Medicaid Access Rule, which is what we expected. That is definitely, I think, a tailwind for us.”

Based in Frisco, Texas, Addus HomeCare currently provides home care, home health and hospice services to over 48,500 consumers through 214 locations across 22 states.

The vast majority of the company’s revenue comes from HCBS, or personal care services.

“Whether or not it stayed or went, it was going to work for us, and it really won’t change what we do,” Allison continued. “But I think it might change some perceptions, especially maybe with some new shareholders that have come in over the last year or so, compared to some of the folks who have been with us a long time who have had time to talk to us and understand our feelings. So overall, I think the Medicaid Access Rule potentially going away is very solid.”

One potential headwind from another Trump administration that Allison noted was its more positive view on Medicare Advantage (MA).

MA plans have been a thorn in home health providers’ side, and generally pay far less for home health services than traditional Medicare.

A harsher regulatory and rate environment has given home health providers a bit more negotiating power with plans over the last couple of years.

“It seems that the Trump administration has talked more favorably about the Medicare Advantage players, which could affect home health a little bit,” Allison said. “Managed care, they don’t pay quite what fee-for-service does.”

While home health care is a key part of Addus’ growth strategy and value-based care plan in the coming years, it still represents a small business segment for the company.

In fact, personal care will own an even bigger slice of Addus’ pie moving forward, as the company looks to close its deal for Gentiva’s personal care assets by the end of the year.

But those two areas – home health care and personal care – will remain in focus when it comes to M&A for the company in the near-term future. Hospice, for the most part, will be backburnered.

“Adding complementary clinical services, there will probably be more opportunities for us around skilled home health in Texas and some other markets where we don’t have any clinical services today,” Addus CFO Brian Poff said. “It’ll mostly [be] personal care and home health. I think hospice, at the right price in the right markets, is something we’d still be open to, but probably a step behind personal care and home health as a priority.”

Addus leaders also said they expect M&A, in general, to open up more in 2025.

The post Addus CEO: Trump Administration Will Likely ‘Do Away With’ Medicaid Access Rule appeared first on Home Health Care News.

Seen Health Raises $22 Million, Hopes To Take New Approach To PACE

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 21:28:59 +0000

Seen Health doesn’t want to be another senior care company touting its chances at disruption. But the new Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) company does want to modernize the model, and it recently raised $22 million to do just that.

Seen Health is a culturally-focused, tech-enabled PACE organization that operates in Los Angeles County’s San Gabriel Valley.

Co-founders Xing and Yang Su, who are brothers, have a background at tech companies, such as Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) and Uber (NYSE: UBER). With this background, Xing Su hopes to lean into the traditional PACE model, while also incorporating a data-driven approach to care.

“We saw a huge amount of opportunity here to be able to build almost a tailor-made operating system that’s specifically designed for PACE, in terms of enabling multi-disciplinary, multi-care setting delivery,” Su told Home Health Care News. “How do we tie together data and workflows across all these different systems and build something on top to allow the teams to actually orchestrate all aspects of care for every single participant, and be able to track and understand exactly what is happening at all times? We think this is a huge and critical piece of the infrastructure that needs to exist in order for PACE to be able to even scale.”

Seen Health’s advisory board includes executives from PACE organizations like WelbeHealth and InnovAge (Nasdaq: INNV).

“There’s a lot to learn about this very complicated model that is highly regulated as well,” Su said. “We wanted to make sure that from the very beginning, we treat this with the respect and intention it actually deserves, and get to really know how the PACE model works today, so that we can then build the right technology, and make the right enhancements to ensure that we can do the best job possible.”

Su explained that the launch of Seen Health was inspired by him and his brother’s personal experience with their aging grandparents.

“For my twin brother and I, we were raised by grandparents for about nine years of our lives,” he said. “They are still some of our closest people, and have had significant influence in terms of who we are and how we grew up. As they age, and especially over the last four years, all three of our living grandparents had a lot of acute health issues.”

The brothers discovered PACE through researching possible care solutions for their grandparents.

With the $22 million raised through its Series A funding round — led by 8VC with participation from Basis Set, Primetime Partners, Virtue and Astrana Health — Seen Health will develop its technology and open its first center.

“This center is a 20,000 square-foot facility here in Alhambra, in the San Gabriel Valley,” Su said. “We’ve been hiring and working with local general contractors to be able to get this facility off the ground, but also investing in a lot of the full staff hires that we currently have, as well as the technology development that we’ve been undertaking over the last two years.”

In addition to taking a tech-enabled approach to care, Seen Health is focused on serving the local Asian and Pacific Islander (API) community.

“We really wanted to meet people where they’re at,” Su said. “San Gabriel Valley is one of the most ethnically diverse communities anywhere in the U.S., but has a particularly high API population. There’s a ton of things we can do, just by being in the community and providing care and services in the way that the existing seniors understand and appreciate, everything from linguistic competency to Eastern medicine, to the food we serve, and the activities that we have. The entire point is to be able to build our facility into a hub of activity for local seniors and their families, such that they can actually engage and we can manage their health better.”

Ultimately, Seen Health hopes to build on the work the industry is already doing.

“We’ve been very deliberate in terms of approaching this business, and very intentional as well, meaning that we didn’t want to come in and say, ‘Hey, let’s disrupt everything,’” Su said. “We came in with a lot of humility, and spent the last three years diligently listening, researching, understanding and observing how other people within the sector really operate. We don’t necessarily see this as a zero-sum game … but rather, how can we be the good stewards of both the model and also bring in some additional elements that maybe have been overlooked traditionally?”

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Report Highlights Decline In Home Health Nursing Turnover Rates, Sign-On Bonus Trend

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 19:12:55 +0000

A recent national salary and benefits report highlighted an increase in turnover rates for home care aides in 2024 and a trend among home health agencies to offer sign-on bonuses to attract new employees.

Turnover rates for home care aides (HCAs) rose to 35% in 2024, up from 31% in 2023, according to the 2024 – 2025 Home Care Salary & Benefits report released by the Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service in Oakland, New Jersey. In contrast, turnover rates for registered nurses decreased from 28% in 2023 to 27% in 2024, nearing the typical pre-pandemic rate of 20% to 25%.

The average annual salary for directors of clinical services (DCS) in home health agencies increased by 4.4%, reaching $109,573 in 2024. Massachusetts reported the highest salary for this position at $137,931, while Wisconsin had the lowest at $88,775.

“In 2024, managers and salaried employees received larger pay increases compared to the last few years,” Roseanne Zabka, director of reports at Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service told Home Health Care News. “Throughout 2021 to 2023, frontline health care workers and hourly staff received the most significant pay raises as agencies competed to attract and retain talent. While hourly staff saw another year of healthy rate increases, they were far from the near double-digit increases seen in 2022 and 2023.”

When comparing salaries by agency type, DCS in visiting nurse agencies earned the highest average salary of $137,931. Hospital-based agencies followed closely, with an average of $136,262. Notably, nonprofit agencies paid more than for-profit agencies, with average salaries of $118,296 and $100,587, respectively.

Regarding hiring practices, 53% of survey respondents reported offering sign-on bonuses to attract applicants. Home care aides received an average sign-on bonus of $2,129.

“Positions and departments which saw the highest increases this year were marketing, human resources and intake coordinators, which suggests agencies are prioritizing and investing in core management and staff to increase client admissions, enhance recruitment and coordination strategies to improve new hire quality and employee retention, and optimize operational efficiency,” Zabka said.

The report, published in October, collected data from 1,079 home health agencies nationwide and was conducted in collaboration with the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC). It covers salaries, bonus data, hourly and per-visit rates for 59 jobs and includes information on increases, shift differentials, turnover and vacancy rates, caseload, and productivity.

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