Amedisys Making Progress on Turnover, Earnings Stability

Amedisys, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMED) is seeing glimmers of improvement on the labor pressures that contributed to uneven earnings performance during 2022. The company has reduced its nurse turnover rate to the vicinity of 20%, surpassing the industry average, Brian Tanquilut, equity analyst for the investment banking firm Jefferies Financial Group, indicated in a note. Jeffries […]

UnitedHealth Group CEO: Home-Based Care Resonates Strongly with Payers

Through acquisitions and contracts with providers, more payers are going all-in on home-based care. The quest for cost reductions, often through risk-based models, is leading a rising number of insurance companies and other payers to make (sometimes) huge investments in the space. Among them is UnitedHealth Care (NYSE: UNH). These investments underscore the rising profile […]

Smaller Deals Likely to Reign in 2023 Hospice M&A

Though buyers remain hungry for hospice acquisitions, smaller deals will likely be the most prevalent during 2023. Acquisition patterns established in 2021 and 2022 are shaping the M&A outlook for the current year. The number of hospice and home health deals fell by nearly a third last year, though a few “megadeals” have driven up […]

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 […]

UnitedHealth Group Adapts to Changing Health Care System Via Optum Investments

The U.S. health care system is in a state of flux, as the home gains prominence as a care setting and value-based payment builds momentum. Recent deals by UnitedHealth Group’s (NYSE: UNH) Optum subsidiary demonstrate a willingness to change with the times. UnitedHealth Group is positioning Optum as a cornerstone of its growing home-based care […]

Court Decision on UnitedHealth Group, Change Healthcare Deal Smooths Path for LHC Group Transaction

A recent federal court decision that cleared the way for UnitedHealth Group’s (NYSE: UNH) forthcoming purchase of Change Healthcare (NASDAQ: CHNG) is a positive sign for the insurance company’s pending acquisition of LHC Group (NASDAQ: LHCG). The U.S. Department of Justice sought to block the $13 billion Change Healthcare transaction on anti-trust grounds, alleging that […]