Option Care, Amedisys Deal Reveals a ‘Whole Different Landscape’ for Hospice Providers

The implications of Option Care Health’s (NASDAQ: OPCH) pending $3.6 billion acquisition of Amedisys Inc. (NASDAQ: AMED) reflect rapidly changing market forces that could affect the industry at large. The rationale behind the transaction rests on four pillars, Option Care executives recently indicated — value-based reimbursement, the importance of scale in payer negotiations, a desire […]

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 […]

Newly Launched Kaiser Permanente Venture Risant Health Acquires Geisinger

Kaiser Permanente is launching a new nonprofit provider organization branded as Risant Health, kicking it off with the acquisition of a fellow integrated health system — Geisinger Health. Risant Health’s prime directive is to “expand access to value-based care in more communities nationwide,” according to a statement from the two companies. The financial terms of […]

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 […]