Palliative Care’s Rising Profile in US Health Care

A diverse range of health care providers have forged a pathway to palliative care services with an aim to improve quality outcomes among a growing seriously ill population. Palliative care delivery trends are increasingly taking root in inpatient and community-based settings across the continuum, Gina Andres, senior director of hospice and palliative care at Kaiser […]

2023’s Most Impactful Hospice Deals

A rich mix of hospice merger and acquisition (M&A) activity at the end of 2023 is fueling trends into next year. Hospice M&A activity has diverged from the frenzied pace set in recent years. The hospice space in the last five years has seen record-breaking multiples, a prevalence of private equity-backed platform transactions and large-scale […]

Choice Health at Home Acquires Lumicare Hospice

Texas-based Choice Health at Home LLC has inked a deal to acquire Lumicare Hospice, growing its presence in two current markets while establishing services in a new state. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Lumicare Hospice has locations in Texas and Arizona, two states in Choice’s existing service region. The hospice also has […]

The Role of Medicare Advantage in Growing Palliative Care Services

For the time being, Medicare Advantage may be providers’ best bet for palliative care reimbursement. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) also allows Medicare Advantage plans to cover palliative care as a supplemental benefit. In addition, the agency has integrated palliative care components into the Value-Based Insurance Design Model (VBID), often called […]

Palliative Care a ‘Natural Fit’ for Home Health Agencies

Though relatively few home health agencies provide palliative care, those providers and their patients can benefit from more integration of those services. Currently, the palliative care space is dominated by hospices and health systems. Only 7% of community-based palliative care programs are operated by home health organizations, compared to about 50% for hospices, according to […]

C-Suite Shake Ups at Pennant Group; Financial, Legal Leadership Moves at Choice Health at Home, Hosparus

Pennant Group reorganizes its executive team The Pennant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: PNTG) recently began the hunt to fill CFO and chief investment officer roles. This follows the recent announcement that Derek Bunker has resigned as Pennant’s chief investment officer, executive vice president and corporate secretary, effective Dec. 31, 2022. “On behalf of the Pennant team, […]

Choice Health CEO Jackson: Instant Care Deal an Extraordinary Opportunity in Non-Medical Home Care

Texas-based Choice Health at Home’s recent purchase of Instant Care of Arizona is bursting with long-term growth potential. The deal marked Choice’s first steps into the Arizona market and made the company a stronger player in the private duty and personal care arenas. The state’s payment landscape and demographic trends drew Choice’s eye to the […]

Choice Health Acquires Private Duty Company Instant Care, Enters Arizona Market

Texas-headquartered Choice Health at Home has entered the personal care space with the acquisition of Instant Care of Arizona for an undisclosed sum. The transaction also gives Choice its first foothold in the Grand Canyon State. Established in 2003, Instant Care of Arizona provides in-home senior care and caregiving support to patients and their families […]

Regulators Taking Aim at Hospice PE Backers

Private equity firms are pouring investment dollars into hospices at a record pace. Meanwhile, legislators and regulators as far up as the White House are taking aim at those firms. Despite a cool down in the hospice mergers and acquisitions market during the first quarter of 2022, private equity firms have stayed aggressive on deals. […]

Staff Poaching on Rise Amid Hospice Labor Shortage

As hospices continue to duke it out in the labor market, more providers are contending with competitors poaching their employees. A number of hospice leaders have told Hospice News that poaching is becoming a greater source of tension in the industry’s recruitment and retention ground war. This often comes with promises of higher wages, more […]