How Palliative Care Drives Change in the Health Care System

Palliative care and its core principles may be driving incremental change in the larger health care system. Some of this is likely due to necessity as the nation strains to manage the extensive needs and expensive costs associated with the care of the growing chronically ill senior population. Currently, more than 10,000 individuals become Medicare-eligible […]

DOJ Considers Lawsuit to Block Amedisys-Optum Transaction

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is reportedly mulling a possible lawsuit to block the acquisition of Amedisys (NASDAQ: AMED) by the UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) subsidiary Optum. Amedisys stock dipped 0.6% following reports of a lawsuit under consideration, SeekingAlpha reported. Optum, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UHN), in June 2023 penned its agreement […]

The Current State of Community-Based Palliative Care

Want to read more palliative care-focused content like this? Subscribe to Palliative Care News today! With the palliative care space in a state of flux, some experts in the field see cause for optimism as well as real questions about what these services will look like, as well as the structures that support them. “Palliative care” […]

Justice Department Launches UnitedHealth Group Antitrust Investigation

In case you missed it, Hospice News has launched a new specialty publication for palliative care professionals. You can subscribe to Palliative Care News here: Subscribe today! The U.S. Justice Department is investigating UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) due to antitrust concerns. During the past two years, the insurance giant has completed a slew of acquisitions […]

Growing Palliative Care a Key Priority for Amedisys in 2024

Want to read more palliative care-focused content like this? Subscribe to Palliative Care News today! Amedisys (NASDAQ: AMED) is pushing forward on palliative care growth in 2024 through its innovation arm, Contessa. The company acquired Contessa in 2021 for $250 million. Contessa’s specialties are high-acuity care in the home, including hospital-at-home and skilled nursing facility-at-home programs. […]

Key Palliative Care Trends to Watch in 2024

Palliative care is an evolving field. Though long-established as a medical specialty, these health care services have yet to reach their full potential due to reimbursement pressures, poor awareness and staffing headwinds. However, in recent years palliative care has been gaining ground, as more payers, providers and patients begin to realize what these services can […]

Hospice Investors to Watch in 2024

Though the number of hospice M&A deals plummeted in 2023 compared to prior years, deals are still being made, and the industry may see a rebound in 2024. Transaction volume declined in the hospice and home-based care space in 2023, following the two record-breaking prior years. Only three hospice deals took place in the third […]

JVs a Major Growth Engine for Hospices in 2024

Moving into 2024, more hospices see joint ventures or similar partnerships to be a major growth engine. Nearly half of 143 respondents to Hospice News’ 2024 Outlook Survey, conducted with Homecare Homebase, said that joint ventures and partnerships were the growth tactics they planned to pursue the most this year. More than 62% of the […]

Provider Partnerships Driving Palliative Care Growth

An increasingly diverse base of health care providers have taken an interest in the palliative care space, a trend that could be indicative of how strategic growth is taking shape in the field. As they build out their palliative care programs, many of these organizations are pursuing partnerships to foster coordination and growth. A range […]

Contessa’s Lessons Learned on Risk-Based Palliative Care

As Contessa Health pioneers a growing value-based palliative care-at-home program, they’ve encountered some learning curves when it comes to operating within a new payment system. Contessa is a subsidiary of Amedisys (NASDAQ: AMED), which the home health and hospice provider acquired in 2021 for $250 million. Contessa’s specialty is high-acuity care in the home, including […]