Palliative Care Providers Have ‘Very Positive Incentive’ to Contract with ACOs

Recognition of palliative care’s value has been steadily gaining among stakeholders in the form of improved patient outcomes and cost savings through reduced hospitalizations. But despite the upswing in profile, insurance coverage and payment for palliative services remain difficult to come by. Traditional Medicare only covers physician consults and doesn’t support the full range of […]

LifeTouch to Merge with Arkansas Hospice

On June 1, LifeTouch Hospice will merge with Arkansas Hospice. Both organizations are nonprofits. Both hospices are owned and operated by the SHARE Foundation, a nonprofit, faith-based organization. The hospice last year served 430 patients in a five-county region of Arkansas. “It is an honor to be asked to continue the mission of another long-standing, […]

Value-Based Care: What Hospices Can Learn from Home Health Companies

When it comes to value-based payment models, home health has a head start on hospice. But those providers’ experiences can lend some insights into how hospices can prepare themselves. Hospices are only now taking their first steps into value-based reimbursement. To date, much of this has centered around diversified programs like palliative care, PACE and […]

Palliative Care Provider Pure Healthcare Partners with CareSource on Enhanced Care Management Program

Ohio-based palliative care provider Pure Healthcare is collaborating with the nonprofit managed care organization CareSource to implement a new care management model designed to support chronically ill patients. The program is focused on patients who have illnesses such as cancer or cardiovascular or respiratory disease, among others. The initial rollout covers a 12-county region in […]

Bonus Program Propels Capacity Gains as VITAS Moves Towards Post-Pandemic Rebound

Investments in their workforce have spurred VITAS Healthcare forward on the road to pre-pandemic financial and clinical performance. Like many providers, VITAS has traversed some rough terrain since the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020. A rash of industry-wide headwinds compressed margins and depressed revenue, including spiking supply and labor costs, reduced referrals and length of […]

Humana’s CenterWell Poised for Growth After Solidification of Hospice Sale

Following its hospice divestiture, Humana’s (NYSE: HUM) health care services business, CenterWell, is poised for growth, with demand for acute senior home care as a driver. Humana anticipates expansion across each of CenterWell’s business lines, which encompasses the insurance mammoth’s home health, primary care, pharmacy and specialty pharmacy services. The segment also includes a joint […]

Newly Launched Kaiser Permanente Venture Risant Health Acquires Geisinger

Kaiser Permanente is launching a new nonprofit provider organization branded as Risant Health, kicking it off with the acquisition of a fellow integrated health system — Geisinger Health. Risant Health’s prime directive is to “expand access to value-based care in more communities nationwide,” according to a statement from the two companies. The financial terms of […]

UNC Health Southeastern Sells Home-Based Hospice Program to Lower Cape Fear LifeCare

Effective May 1, the North Carolina-based hospital UNC Health Southeastern (UNC) will transfer ownership of its community-based hospice operations to Lower Cape Fear LifeCare. The financial terms of the transfer include a sale of tangible assets for an undisclosed dollar amount, with no premium attached to the transaction. Lower Cape Fear LifeCare will also assist […]

‘There Are Fewer Quality Targets on the Market’: Hospice Transaction Activity Plummets

Hospice transaction activity has plummeted to its lowest level in years, new dealmaking data suggests. That’s no surprise, as many anticipate health care investors to operate with a more conservative approach in 2023. The cooldown, experts note, is partly due to inflation reaching multi-decade highs, uncertainty in the banking world and credit markets drying up. […]

LHC Group Remains an Active M&A Buyer Following Optum Deal

LHC Group has acquired Delaware-based Summit Home Care for an undisclosed sum, signaling that the company will remain active on the M&A front following Optum Health’s recent $5.4 billion buyout.  Optum, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), closed the LHC Group transaction in February and has since been quiet on its plans for its […]