Moving Health Home Engages Hospice, Palliative Care Providers

Moving Health Home is getting involved in hospice, having expanded to include providers Compassus, Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY) and the community-based support company Contessa Health. Moving Health Home is a coalition of health care organizations that advocate for the expansion of home-based care.

Moving Health Home was established in March by founding members Amazon Care, Landmark Health, Signify Health, Dispatch Health, Elara Caring, Intermountain Healthcare, Home Instead and Ascension. The coalition’s mission is to build support for home-based care by educating policymakers about the benefits to patients and potential cost savings. Other new members include University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, U.S. Medical Management, Advocate Aurora Health, and Vituity.

“The goals of Moving Health Home align with how Compassus is innovating home-based care delivery and transforming the future of health care,” said Compassus CEO Jim Deal. “We know receiving care at home is the preference of most patients, results in higher quality and patient and family satisfaction, and lowers overall cost.”

Compassus is a portfolio company of the private equity firm Towerbrook Capital Partners and the health system Ascension Health, which acquired the hospice provider in 2019. The companies each own a 50% stake in Compassus, one of the 10 largest hospices in the United States.

One force driving more care into the home is the COVID-19 pandemic, a side effect of public anxiety about entering hospitals and other inpatient or residential health care settings. Bringing care to the home is a trend that began in earnest long before the pandemic, but the pace has accelerated — a boon for both patients and providers. The rate of change may fluctuate, but the future of home- and community-based health care looks bright in terms of growth.

Contessa Health recently entered a partnership with Mt. Sinai Health System to develop the organizations’ Palliative Care at Home initiative. The program launched in response to the pandemic and initially was only available to COVID-positive patients, but the partners have now expanded it to their larger patient population. Community-based palliative care can reduce health care costs by more than $4,000 per patient, according to a July 2017 study in Health Affairs.

“Contessa is built on the belief that patients heal better, and faster, at home and these care models can be scaled rapidly with health system partners,” said Contessa CEO Travis Messina. “We are honored to join forces with the most respected names in home care delivery to increase awareness for the necessary policy changes.”

New member Advocate Aurora Health recently made a big step into the home-based care space with the acquisition of Senior Helpers earlier this month. The health system’s investment subsidiary Advocate Aurora Enterprises made the purchase for an undisclosed amount. Senior Helpers has more than 320 franchise and corporate-owned locations in 44 states as well as Canada and Australia.

VNSNY, the largest nonprofit community-based provider in the United States, recently launched its Project HOPE initiative to overcome demographic barriers to hospice care among African Americans and Hispanics in the Harlem and Bronx boroughs of New York City.

“Home and community-based care is essential. Patients of all types depend on this care, whether it is delivered in-person or through telehealth services,” said VNSNY CEO Dan Savitt on the organization’s entry to Moving Health Home.