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All posts tagged with “Hospice Provider News | For-profit News.”



St. Croix Hospice opens 10 new locations in first quarter 2025

04/02/25 at 02:00 AM

St. Croix Hospice opens 10 new locations in first quarter 2025 The LaGrange Daily News, Oakdale, MN; PR Newswire; 4/1/25 St. Croix Hospice continued its growth in the first quarter of 2025 with the opening of 10 additional branches across five states. The new locations include:

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CMS will not resume implementation of Hospice SFP in 2025

03/27/25 at 03:00 AM

CMS will not resume implementation of Hospice SFP in 2025 Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 3/25/25 A federal court has ordered a stay on litigation intended to block the hospice Special Focus Program (SFP) after the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) pledged that it would not resume implementation during 2025. The crux of a lawsuit filed by hospice organizations against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the criteria that the agency uses to select hospices for the new Special Focus Program (SFP). [Continue reading ...]

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VITAS Healthcare is first hospice organization to earn American Heart Association Heart Failure Certification across all 15 states and DC

03/19/25 at 02:30 AM

VITAS Healthcare is first hospice organization to earn American Heart Association Heart Failure Certification across all 15 states and DC Florida News Guide, Miami, FL; Press Release; 3/18/25 ... VITAS has become the first nationwide hospice provider to earn the American Heart Association® Palliative/Hospice Heart Failure certification across all 15 states in which it operates. The certification applies to 56 unique VITAS service areas, including the District of Columbia. ... “Many patients with heart failure do not receive the hospice care that could significantly improve their final months of life,” said Joseph Shega, MD, executive vice president and chief medical officer at VITAS. “This certification affirms our commitment to providing evidence-based hospice care that helps patients and families navigate advanced heart disease with dignity, comfort and the right level of support.”

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What happens to care when private equity firms buy hospice providers?

03/14/25 at 02:00 AM

What happens to care when private equity firms buy hospice providers? KALW Public Media / 91.7 FM, Bay Area, CA; by Rose Aguilar and Nina Kissinger; 3/12/25 On this edition of Your Call, we discuss the rise of for-profit hospice agencies in the US and how that's affecting care. Between 2015 and 2022, 47 private equity firms bought 124 hospice providers. Though hospice began as a nonprofit, community-based service in the 1970s to provide specialized end-of-life care, over 70 percent of hospice providers are now for-profit, according to the CDC. What’s behind this alarming trend? And how is it affecting patient care and the right to transition with dignity?  uests: Dr. Ira Byock, palliative care physician, public advocate, founder of the Institute for Human Caring and Jennifer Moore Ballentine, CEO of the Coalition for Compassionate Care of California.

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How hospital merger oversight is shifting deal-making

03/13/25 at 03:00 AM

How hospital merger oversight is shifting deal-making Modern Healthcare; by Alex Kacik; 3/12/25 Health systems are increasingly pursuing mergers and acquisitions in the South, a region where demand for care is growing and there are fewer regulatory barriers. More than a dozen states have passed laws over the past several years designed to increase oversight of healthcare transactions, but Southern states have largely stayed on the sidelines. As a result, deals involving hospitals are expected to pick up in the South, particularly in markets that feature growing populations, a high number of Medicaid patients and less stringent merger reviews, merger and acquisition advisers said. Potential Medicaid cuts could also drive up deal-making in the 16-state region spanning from West Virginia to Texas, as well as Washington, D.C., advisers said. 

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"The hospice heart": Hospice industry battles misconceptions, staffing shortages as expectations grow

03/10/25 at 03:00 AM

"The hospice heart": Hospice industry battles misconceptions, staffing shortages as expectations grow Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, IN; by  Josh Flynn Pharos; 3/9/25 ... There are a lot of misconceptions about hospice care and one of the largest is that entering hospice care is equal to giving up. ...Hospice care is one of the fastest growing industries as the Baby Boomer generation continues to age. The hospice care industry was valued at $34.5 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow in value to $67.7 billion by 2030. But misconceptions about hospice care and nursing shortages could threaten that future success. ... Maria Rogers is the public relations liaison at Guardian Angel Hospice in Logansport and she has devoted herself to tackling the misconceptions that surround hospice care. ... “You don’t have to be actively passing away to receive our services,” Rogers said. ... Jennifer Edwards, executive director of Heart to Heart in Mishawaka and Logansport, said many families don’t understand the role of medicine in hospice care. While something like chemotherapy would be discontinued, a hospice staff would never discontinue medications or fail to treat new problems that came up. ...

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Faith Home Health and Hospice continues HCH services

03/06/25 at 03:00 AM

Faith Home Health and Hospice continues HCH servicesThe Holton Recorder, Holton, KS; by Brian Sanders; 3/5/25 Last September, Holton Community Hospital announced that it would close its award-winning home health and hospice department by the end of the year. Enter Kansas City-based Faith Home Health and Hospice, which has been working with staff from the HCH home health and hospice department since November to ensure that those services continue for those in the Jackson County area who need them. Faith chief executive officer Bev Kimzey, noting that her firm is under contract with HCH to purchase the department, saw taking over management of the department and continuing those services in this area — especially with HCH’s home health and hospice staff intact — as “a win-win.”

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Amid huge growth in Southern Nevada’s hospice industry, lawmaker pushes for more oversight

03/06/25 at 03:00 AM

Amid huge growth in Southern Nevada’s hospice industry, lawmaker pushes for more oversight The Nevada Independent; by Tabitha Mueller; 3/5/25 The number of licensed hospice providers in Southern Nevada jumped by more than 350 percent since 2020 — a proliferation combined with minimal industry regulation that health care experts warn harms patients and leads to fraud. To address the issue, Assm. Rebecca Edgeworth (R-Las Vegas) is sponsoring AB161, which is scheduled for a hearing Wednesday. The measure, Edgeworth said, is a way to “raise the bar” for hospice providers and protect patients. “In the last few years, there has been this horrendous influx of charlatans and flimflam artists,” Edgeworth told The Nevada Independent.

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Uplift Hospice acquires Star of Texas

03/06/25 at 03:00 AM

Uplift Hospice acquires Star of Texas Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 3/5/25Uplift Hospice has acquired Star of Texas Hospice. Financial terms were undisclosed. The transaction will bring Uplift’s average daily census up to 450 across three states — Arizona, Nevada and Texas. The two organizations first connected to discuss a potential transaction through a mutual relationship with the M&A advisory firm Agenda Health, according to Uplift Hospice’s CEO Owen Lawrie.

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What's driving change in end-of-life care for February 2025

03/06/25 at 03:00 AM

What's driving change in end-of-life care for February 2025 Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); podcast by Chris Comeaux; 3/5/25 In this episode, Chris Comeaux and Cordt Kassner, PhD—Publisher of Hospice & Palliative Care Today and CEO/Founder of Hospice Analytics—unpack the latest trends shaping end-of-life care in America.  Drawing on extensive experience and data-driven insights, they spotlight key Hospice headlines, research, and podcasts influencing the Hospice sector.  … Plus, Cordt delivers a masterclass on Hospice technology, offering practical tools and strategies to enhance care delivery.

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Bristol Hospice launches new locations in 4 states

03/05/25 at 03:00 AM

Bristol Hospice launches new locations in 4 states Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 3/3/25 Bristol Hospice has unveiled de novos in Arizona, South Carolina, Texas and Washington. The move marks an important period of expansion in states with some of the largest aging populations pushing up demand for hospice. The hospice provider has plans to expand in Fort Worth, Texas in the “near future,” the organization stated in an announcement. “We are thrilled to announce that Bristol Hospice is now accepting patients in the following locations: Lubbock, Texas; Tacoma, Washington (Pierce County); Phoenix, Arizona; [and] Charleston, South Carolina,” the organization said in a social media post. 

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Pennant leaders tout record breaking’ home health growth, transformative deals

03/04/25 at 03:00 AM

The Pennant Group to ramp up hospice, home health transactions during 2025 Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 2/28/25 The Pennant Group (Nasdaq: PNTG) plans to ramp up acquisitions later this year as it works to integrate assets purchased in late 2024. Among those deals was The Pennant Group’s acquisition of Signature Healthcare at Home’s hospice and home health assets for a price tag of $80 million which closed in January. The company also completed some senior living transactions. Pennant is on the hunt for more deals but will likely be more active later in the year. 

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Care America Home Care enhances access to compassionate hospice care in Irvine, CA

03/03/25 at 03:00 AM

Care America Home Care enhances access to compassionate hospice care in Irvine, CA East Coastsentinal, Irvine, CA; 2/28/25Care America Home Care, a trusted name in senior care, proudly announces its continued dedication to the Irvine community by expanding access to personalized hospice home care services. This initiative supports families navigating challenging times by providing compassionate and professional hospice support at home in Irvine, ensuring the highest standards of care and comfort. “At Care America Home Care, we understand families’ profound emotional and logistical challenges during end-of-life care. Our mission is to offer a reliable and comforting solution, enabling families to focus on cherishing their time together,” said Rina Boidon, the Founder and Co-Owner of Care America Home Care. 

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VITAS’ 'powerhouse’ growth in hospice hitting ‘all-time highs’

03/03/25 at 03:00 AM

VITAS’ 'powerhouse’ growth in hospice hitting ‘all-time highs’ Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 2/27/25 Florida-based VITAS Healthcare is anticipating fruitful hospice growth on its horizon. The Chemed Corp. (NYSE: CHE) subsidiary has seen record-highs in patient census volumes and is ramping up strategic plans to expand its geographic footprint across its home state. Acquisitions and de novos will make up an important mix of VITAS’ expansion, Chairman and CEO Nick Westfall said in Thursday’s earnings call. The company is optimistic about future opportunities in the Southeast, executives indicated. [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

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Amedisys sees hospice growth as DOJ-UnitedHealth Group lawsuit looms

02/28/25 at 03:00 AM

Amedisys sees hospice growth as DOJ-UnitedHealth Group lawsuit looms Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 2/27/25 Amedisys Inc. (Nasdaq: AMED) saw hospice revenue growth during the fourth quarter of 2024 despite merger-related costs associated with its pending acquisition by UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH). The company’s hospice business saw net service revenues of $21.29 million during the fourth quarter of 2024, up from $20.6 million year over year. For the full year 2024, net service revenue reached $82.58 million, an increase from $79.8 million in 2023. ... On a consolidated basis, company-wide net service revenue hit $59.8 million in Q4, up from $57 million in the prior year’s period. These results come as Amedisys and UnitedHealth Group are embroiled in a lawsuit by the U.S. Justice Department intended to block their potentially forthcoming acquisition due to antitrust concerns.

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UnitedHealth Group's year of DOJ probes, layoffs and backlash

02/28/25 at 03:00 AM

UnitedHealth Group's year of DOJ probes, layoffs and backlash Modern Healthcare; by Lauren Berryman; 2/24/25 UnitedHealth Group has faced an unprecedented past year, navigating events that have tested its finances, operations and reputation. Here is a timeline of key events during the company’s past 12 months. [Click here and scroll down to the timeline with links to Modern Healthcare's articles through the year.]

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Saad Healthcare agrees to pay $3M to settle False Claims Act allegations that it billed Medicare for ineligible hospice patients

02/24/25 at 03:00 AM

Saad Healthcare agrees to pay $3M to settle False Claims Act allegations that it billed Medicare for ineligible hospice patientsU.S. Department of Justice - Office of Public Affairs; Press Release; 2/21/25Saad Enterprises Inc., doing business as Saad Healthcare, has agreed to pay $3 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting false claims for the care of hospice patients in Alabama who were ineligible for the Medicare hospice benefit because they were not terminally ill. ... The settlement resolves allegations that between 2013 and 2020 Saad submitted, or caused the submission of, false claims to Medicare for 21 patients who did not meet the eligibility requirements for the Medicare hospice benefit as defined by statute and regulation, despite Saad knowing the patients were ineligible for the Medicare hospice benefit.

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[West Virginia] House HHR Committee holds hearing on CON

02/24/25 at 02:00 AM

[West Virginia] House HHR Committee holds hearing on CON Wrap Up - Official Blog of the West Virginia Legislature; by Cheyenne DeBolt; 2/20/25 The [West Virginia] House Health and Human Resources Committee met [Thursday Feb. 20] for a lengthy committee hearing on certificate of need repeal. Several people showed up to speak about CON and questions about patient choice, patient access, and affordability came up. House Bill 2007 repeals the certificate of need (CON) process on January 1, 2026. The bill also terminates the WV Health Care Authority, transferring its assets and powers to the Secretary of the Department of Health. The bill was advanced to markup. ... Every state around West Virginia except Pennsylvania and Ohio has CON meaning WV could only go into two other states but all the states around us could come into WV. There are seven hospice houses in West Virginia which are all nonprofit. There are 18 hospice providers throughout the state, which are divided based on the CON processes.

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New Day Healthcare acquires Christian Senior Care Services

02/21/25 at 03:00 AM

New Day Healthcare acquires Christian Senior Care Services  Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 2/20/25 New Day Healthcare has acquired the home-based care company Christian Senior Care Services in Houston for an undisclosed sum. The deal, New Day’s 13th to date, expands the company’s personal care services division into five additional counties in the Houston metro area. The operation will continue to operate under its current brand, and the entire staff will remain in place. ... The transaction adds personal care services to New Day’s hospice and home health operations in the Houston area, a key step in the provider’s efforts to build out a multi-faceted continuum of care. ... Similar to national demographic trends, a growing aging population is driving demand for hospice in Texas. Seniors 65 and older represent 13.8% of the Lone Star State’s overall population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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[Updated] Trump administration suspends hospice Special Focus Program

02/18/25 at 03:00 AM

[Updated] Trump administration suspends hospice Special Focus Program Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 2/14/25 The Trump Administration has suspended implementation of the hospice Special Focus Program. Finalized in the 2024 home health payment rule, the program is designed to identify poor performing hospices, mandate quality improvement and in some cases impose additional penalties. However, stakeholders in the hospice space have contended that the agency’s methodology for selecting hospices for the program is deeply flawed. Notice of the suspension appeared [Friday, 2/14] on the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) website.

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What's keeping CFOs up at night?

02/18/25 at 02:00 AM

What's keeping CFOs up at night? Becker's Hospital CFO Report; by Alan Condon; 2/14/25 As health system CFOs chart their course for 2025, they face an increasingly complex financial landscape marked by mounting labor costs, tightening margins, shifting payer dynamics and an evolving regulatory environment. ... [Several] CFOs recently joined the “Becker's CFO and Revenue Cycle Podcast” to discuss the trends they're watching most closely — and the strategies they're deploying to stay ahead. [Key items include the following: labor shortages (key theme); major investments in ambulatory care facilities; AI to support operations and service; physician partnerships; shift from fee for service to value-based care; clinical labor; malpractice litigation; growth of Medicare Advantage programs; staffing shortages; inflation; reimbursements; providing care to undersinsured patients; Medicaid supplemental funding programs; "disruptors' by private equity and "other nontraditional players"; uncertainty of federal and state regulation changes.]

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UnitedHealth, Amedisys plan divesture of up to 128 locations

02/17/25 at 03:00 AM

UnitedHealth, Amedisys plan divesture of up to 128 locations Modern Healthcare; by Diane Eastabrook; 2/11/25 UnitedHealth Group said in a court filing Friday [2/7/25] its plans to sell at least 128 home health and hospice locations to ease the Justice Department's antitrust concerns around its acquisition of Amedisys. The divestiture plans were part of a filing in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland in a response to the Justice Department’s lawsuit to block the proposed acquisition. ... The company didn’t identify which locations would be sold, but said they would be in areas where UnitedHealth Group and Amedisys’ combined market share would exceed the thresholds federal regulators allege could harm competition. UnitedHealth Group said in the court filing it was in the process of identifying qualified buyers who would be able to operate and grow the divested locations.

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Humana posts $693M loss in Q4

02/17/25 at 03:00 AM

Humana posts $693M loss in Q4 Becker's Payer Issues; by Jakob Emerson; 2/11/25 Humana lost $693 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to the company's year-end earnings report published Feb. 11. The results reflect increased benefits expenses, particularly in Medicare Advantage and state-based contracts. Despite the challenges, the company projected earnings per share of $15.88 for 2025, with an adjusted EPS of approximately $16.25. Total revenues in the fourth quarter were $29.2 billion, up 10.4% year over year. In 2024, total revenues were $117.8 billion, up 10.7%. Humana posted a net loss of $693 million in the fourth quarter, compared to a $541 million net loss the year prior. In 2024, the company's net income totaled nearly $1.2 billion, down 52%.

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Hospice leaders applaud CMS’s decision to reevaluate Special Focus Program, call for meaningful reforms

02/17/25 at 02:00 AM

Hospice leaders applaud CMS’s decision to reevaluate Special Focus Program, call for meaningful reforms National Alliance for Care at Home, Washington, DC and Alexandria, VA; Press Release; 2/14/25 Effective February 14, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has ceased the implementation of the Hospice Special Focus Program (SFP) so that CMS may further evaluate the program. This decision is a positive move acknowledging that the current approach is not working as intended. The hospice community has long advocated for strong oversight and patient protections, but the SFP, as implemented, was deeply flawed, unlawful, and harmful to the very patients it was meant to protect. A multi-state coalition of hospices and hospice associations took legal action in January to challenge the program, citing its misrepresentation of hospice compliance records, misleading data, and jeopardized access to high-quality end-of-life care. The flawed algorithm behind the SFP failed to distinguish fraudulent providers from reputable ones, disproportionately penalized well-established hospices, and ignored repeated warnings from congressional leaders and industry stakeholders. ... Now that CMS is reassessing its approach, there is an opportunity to ensure that oversight efforts truly enhance patient protections without restricting access to trusted hospice providers. The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) and the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation (NPHI) remain committed to protecting access to high-quality hospice care and ensuring that regulatory oversight is fair, transparent, and aligned with congressional intent. ... [Click on the title's link to continue reading.] 

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St. Croix Hospice opens new location in La Crosse

02/14/25 at 03:00 AM

St. Croix Hospice opens new location in La Crosse News 8 Now, La Crosse, WI; by Corey Peters; 2/12/25 St. Croix Hospice held a ribbon cutting for their new location in La Crosse on Wednesday. St. Croix Hospice originated back in 2009 in Oakdale, Minnesota, and have now expanded to 18 locations around Wisconsin. St. Croix Hospice held a ribbon cutting for their new location in La Crosse on Wednesday. St. Croix Hospice originated back in 2009 in Oakdale, Minnesota, and have now expanded to 18 locations around Wisconsin.

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