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 […]

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 […]

UnitedHealth Group ‘Expanding Scope’ of Home-Based Care

UnitedHealth Group’s (NYSE: UNH) sights are set on home-based care, as evidenced by its acquisitions and investments in value-based care. The insurance company’s subsidiary Optum Health recently completed its acquisition of Lousianna-based home health and hospice provider LHC Group for $5.4 billion. Acquiring LHC Group was a key step in UnitedHealth’s larger plan to delve […]

Hospices Get Creative to Succeed in VBID

Hospices will need to leverage creativity to thrive in a Medicare Advantage reimbursement environment. Often called the Medicare Advantage carve-in, the hospice component of the value-based insurance design (VBID) model is now in its third year. Recently, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) extended the demo through 2030. Though its ultimate outcome […]

4 Ways Hospices Are Pursuing Growth in 2023

Hospices are blazing trails toward growth, each provider with its own range of strategies. In 2023, the focus for many is to not only expand their core business but to spread further into the care continuum. Others are traveling a more traditional route, through de novos and acquisitions, though some are modifying their approaches in […]

St. Croix’s Strategic Executive Moves; NHPCO’s Ben Marcantonio Named Goodwin Living’s Board VP

Shake Ups in St. Croix’s Executive Level St. Croix Hospice recently made changes to its executive team. The changes are intended to support the organization’s future growth. St. Croix provides hospice to nearly 4,000 patients daily across the Midwest. The hospice provider operates 60 locations in 10 states.  The hospice promoted Eric Lewis to chief […]

Prospero Health to Merge with Landmark within UnitedHealth Group’s Optum

After quietly being acquired by Optum toward the beginning of last year, home-based care provider Prospero Health is merging with Landmark Health. The two companies are under the ownership of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) subsidiary Optum. Landmark reportedly joined Optum at the beginning of 2021. Both Landmark and Prospero are major palliative care providers in […]

[UPDATED] Optum Closes $5.4 Billion LHC Group Acquisition

The UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) subsidiary Optum closed its $5.4 billion deal today to acquire LHC Group (NASDAQ: LHCG).  LHC Group this morning notified the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that the deal had been completed and that it would no longer be trading on the NASDAQ. Optum first announced its agreement to purchase […]

Hospice M&A ‘Historically Strong’ Despite Recent Cool Down

Though investors and strategic buyers didn’t wade quite as deep into the hospice market in 2022 compared to years prior, the tide may be rising for M&A during 2023. Though hospice M&A activity fluctuated last year, volume is expected to rebound, but probably with larger numbers of smaller deals. Swelling demand for hospice and home […]

Hospices Strengthening Ties to Tech, Pharmacy Companies to Support Families, Staff

Hospices are increasingly leveraging technology and pharmaceutical partnerships to better address the needs of patients and families and improve financial and operational efficiencies. Hospices have leaned heavily on technology during the pandemic, turning to telehealth to remain connected to patients and their families. Hospices have also increasingly leveraged technology to build operational efficiencies during widespread […]