What New Allegations that HCA Healthcare Pressured Patients Mean for Hospices

Recent allegations that staff at HCA Healthcare (NYSE: HCA) put pressure on patients to enter hospice dovetail with longstanding questions over how and when patients should be referred. A recent report from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) alleges that HCA has pressured clinicians to inappropriately “push” patients and families to accept hospice referrals. The […]

Minority Investor Pushing for Enhabit Sale

A minority investor in Enhabit Inc. (NYSE: EHAB) is urging the hospice and home health provider to consider a “full and fair sale process.” The investor – New York-based hedge fund AREX Capital Management, which holds about 4.5% of the shares of Enhabit – brought up the sale idea in a letter sent to the […]

3 Palliative Care Providers to Watch

As the demand for palliative care continues to grow, so too has the way businesses have bolstered their programs to better serve patients. Providers are consistently looking for new methods to deliver responsive, value-based services that can generate savings and reduce high-acuity utilization. Hospice News spoke with three palliative care providers that have risen to […]

Hospice News’ Top 10 Stories of 2022

In 2022, the hospice community laid the groundwork for a transformational 2023. This year saw industry-changing acquisitions, some of the worst labor headwinds to date, the return of sequestration and a sometimes volatile national economy. During late 2021 and 2022, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) developed new approaches for enforcing hospice […]

5 Game-Changing Hospice Deals from 2022

Though hospice deal volume dipped in 2022 compared to previous years, five particular transactions could paint a larger picture of where investors see value in the space. These interesting, unusual or groundbreaking deals could signal what’s to come in 2023 and help shape the hospice market’s long-term future. Optum to pick up LHC Group Though […]

Optum’s LHC Group Acquisition Expected to Close in Q1 2023

The anticipated acquisition of LHC Group (NASDAQ: LHCG) by the UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) subsidiary Optum is now expected to close during the first quarter of 2023. Optum in April announced its agreement to purchase the Lafayette, Louisiana-based home health and hospice provider for $5.5 billion. Initially expected to close this year, LHC Group today […]

How the 2023 Home Health Rule Could Change the Game in Hospice M&A

The pendulum of investor interest has swung hard into the hospice market in recent years, but shifts in reimbursement could steer buyers towards home health. Uncertainty earlier this year around Medicare’s proposed 2023 home health payment rates led some stakeholders to expect a swerve towards hospice. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) […]

AccentCare, LHC Group, VITAS Execs: Care Continuum Sprawl Central to Hospice’s Growth

Expansion across the care continuum is a key to sustainable growth for hospices, according to executives from some of the industry’s largest companies. The hospice industry has been ripe for growth in recent years, plucking the interest of investors from all walks. Hospices have dug deep into the roots of their growth strategies as competition […]

CHRISTUS, Texas Palliative Care Team Up to Deliver Serious Illness Care

Texas Palliative Care and CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Health recently formed a partnership to expand access to serious illness care for patients and families in growing need. The palliative care partnership was rolled out last month with a goal to improve provider coordination and quality of these services across East Texas. Through the partnership, the two […]

LHC Group’s Hospice Segment Faring Better Than Home Health Amid Labor Struggles

Labor pressures are bearing down on LHC Group’s (NASDAQ: LHCG) patient volumes and revenue, hitting its home health segment harder than its hospice business. Workforce strains have put pressure on many providers’ capacity to accept patients, and Louisiana-based home health and hospice provider LHC Group is no exception. Labor costs are up across the board, […]