SCAN Group, CareOregon Put the Brakes on Planned Merger

The Medicare Advantage organizations SCAN Group and CareOregon will not complete their plans to merge amid questions from state regulatory agencies. The two nonprofits announced their intent to combine last year and form a new entity that would have been known as the HealthRight Group, which would encompass SCAN’s Medicare portfolio with CareOregon’s predominantly Medicaid […]

How CMS’ 2024 Risk Adjustment Rules May Affect Palliative Care Companies

Depending on how stakeholders play their cards, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) updated risk adjustment policy could lead to tightened belts — or a golden opportunity — for palliative care providers in Medicare Advantage. Much of the palliative care delivered to U.S. patients is now reimbursed through risk-based models like Medicare […]

Guaranteed Taps SVP of Strategic Growth; Nurses Step Into C-Suite at Hospice of the Piedmont, Hudson Valley Hospice

Guaranteed’s New SVP of Growth, Strategy Tech-enabled hospice startup Guaranteed has named Ryan Malone as its new senior vice president of growth and strategy. Before joining Guaranteed, Malone served as vice president of sales and partnerships at mental health provider Thriveworks since 2021. Previously, he was head of growth at Mavencare, and served in sales […]

SCAN Group Invests in Guaranteed’s ‘Inclusive’ Hospice Technology Services

Medicare Advantage organization SCAN Group has invested an undisclosed dollar amount in tech-enabled hospice startup Guaranteed. The move comes nearly a year after California-based Guaranteed launched in August 2022, when founder and CEO Jessica McGlory began her own provider company two years after her father passed away. SCAN Group, parent company of SCAN Health Plan, […]

Payers to Hospices: Don’t Wait to Start Working with MA Plans

Over time, Medicare Advantage plans will likely have a greater presence as hospice payers, and now is the time for providers to build relationships those organizations. Originally slated to end in 2024, CMS recently extended the hospice component of the value-based insurance design model (VBID) to 2030. Though the demo’s ultimate outcome remains uncertain, many […]

SCAN CEO Sachin Jain: Health Care ‘Middlemen’ Contribute to System’s Fragmentation

Health care middlemen are contributing to a fragmented, stitched-together “Frankenstein’s monster” of a system that puts greater distance between patients and those who actually provide the care, according to SCAN Group CEO Dr. Sachin Jain. Even defining the “middlemen” can be a challenge because these organizations are so pervasive and multifaceted. However, these companies often […]

How Value-Based Care Could Change a Hospice Organization’s Culture

A transition to value-based reimbursement would fundamentally change the traditional hospice business model. It could also wield a powerful influence on an organization’s culture. Hospices are inching ever closer to the value-based arena. To date, much of this has centered around diversified programs like palliative care, PACE and other services. However, the ongoing value-based insurance […]

SCAN Group’s Homebase Medical to Launch New Palliative Care Model

Homebase Medical, a subsidiary of SCAN Group, is developing a new palliative model to care for some of the Medicare Advantage organization’s most vulnerable beneficiaries. This development comes as SCAN, the parent company of SCAN Health Plan, prepares to combine with fellow nonprofit CareOregon, which has a large Medicaid portfolio. Post-transaction, the combined organization will […]

Medicare Advantage Crackdown Could Dampen Palliative Care Growth

Federal regulators are cracking down on the private insurers that administer Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. In turn, that could dampen the growth of palliative care supplemental benefits in MA moving forward. Despite palliative care’s ability to lower health care spending and improve patient outcomes, it remains an underutilized service. That’s partly because providers are forced […]