WASHINGTON—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center (CMMI) has issued additional updates on the Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions (ACCESS) Model. The ACCESS model is a voluntary 10-year national test of a payment approach leveraging technology in care delivery.
These updates include:
TYLER, Texas—Senior Nannies Home Care Services and Senior Advantages Assisted Living Placement Services, announced it has joined forces with Choice Health at Home, a multi-state operator of home health, hospice, personal care, rehabilitation and specialty in-home services. The company said this transaction marks Choice’s entry into the Southeastern United States.
NEW YORK—Wisdom, a smart home company focused on helping older adults live independently at home, announced a $315,000 social-impact investment from the Richard King Mellon Foundation to help advance platform development and support real-world deployment of its smart home system. This investment adds to $925,000 in previously unannounced pre-seed financing from crowdfunding and angel investors, bringing the total raised to more than $1.3 million.
ST. PETERSBURG, Florida—CCS, a provider of clinical solutions and home-delivered medical supplies for chronic conditions, has announced a new partnership with SweetSpot, a remote diabetes management company. Together, CCS and SweetSpot are launching a new pilot program across select United States markets designed to expand access to remote care, improve clinical outcomes and support providers with preventive diabetes care solutions.
LEHI, Utah—Owlet, Inc., a provider of infant monitoring tools, announced a new partnership with PromptCare, a national respiratory services and durable medical equipment (DME) provider specializing in adult and pediatric care. The partnership expands Owlet’s clinical and DME footprint across the United States.
FRISCO, Texas & CHESTERFIELD, Missouri—Soleo Health, a national provider of complex specialty pharmacy services, announced the relocation to a new, larger facility in Chesterfield, MO. The company said this expansion will also further enhance the delivery of exceptional care and support for patients, prescribers, health systems, payers and manufacturer partners.
LONDON—Rhône, a global private equity firm, announced it has completed the acquisitions of Invacare Holdings S.ar.l. (Invacare Europe and Asia-Pacific) and Direct Healthcare Group (DHG). Rhône said the two businesses and associated brands will combine to create DHCare, which will be one of the international leaders in designing, manufacturing and distributing medical devices in the mobility and post-acute care sectors. The transaction completed on Jan. 30, 2026.
GRAND PRAIRE, Texas—Alex Orthopedic, an essential medical supplies company, has acquired Essential Medical Supply, a home medical equipment company.
MURRYSVILLE, Pennsylvania—Philips Respironics has remediated 2.683 million patients affected by its sleep device recall as of the beginning of February—99% of those it could—the company announced.
As of Feb. 2, the company said, it had remediated all but 80,000 of the “actionable” registrations, which it defined as those that included all information necessary to complete the process. Remediated patients include:
WATERLOO, Iowa—VGM announced it will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its annual VGM Heartland Conference from June 8–10, 2026, in Waterloo, Iowa. Registration officially opens on Wednesday, Feb. 25, and attendees can take advantage of a special one‑day $225 anniversary rate—the lowest price of the year.
INDIANAPOLIS—Olio, a care coordination platform for post-acute and behavioral health, announced it is hosting a Care Coordination Engagement Summit to tackle what Olio says is one of health care's most pressing challenges: coordinating care across the continuum.
ST. LOUIS—Responsive Respiratory, a provider of high pressure oxygen products, announced it was recently recognized with the Customer Excellence Award by Estes Express.
ST. LOUIS—Mackworth USA, a United States manufacturer of safe patient handling equipment and mobility solutions, has announced an investment from United Kingdom-based Prism Healthcare Group. The company said the investment will enable Mackworth USA to establish its own U.S. manufacturing operations.
WATERLOO, Iowa—VGM & Associates announced it has released a new playbook aimed towards guiding VGM members through the upcoming changes and trends in the home medical equipment (HME) and durable medical equipment, prosthetics and orthotics supplies (DMEPOS) industry.
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia—Steve Landers has stepped down as CEO of the National Alliance for Care at Home, the organization announced Wednesday.
WASHINGTON—Congress officially extended Medicare telehealth flexibilities through Dec. 31, 2027, as part of the newly signed federal funding bill. In response, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released updated telehealth frequently asked questions (FAQ) sheet to provide clarity on what the extension means for both patients and providers.
MARKHAM, Ontario—Cheelcare Inc., a Canadian provider of advanced mobility solutions, announced that it has received Pricing, Data Analysis and Coding (PDAC) verification for the Companion power assist device, confirming reimbursement eligibility.
PDAC verification ensures manufacturers use the correct Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes for Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance claims, ensuring quality and functionality standards.
OKLAHOMA CITY—Senior Helpers a national provider of in-home senior care services, announced Senior Helpers of Greater Oklahoma City joined the list of Senior Helpers CHAP Age-Friendly Care at Home Certified locations.
MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin—Bruce Johnson, age 72, was sentenced to 18 months incarceration for conspiracy to pay health care kickbacks, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS).
WASHINGTON—Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) is spearheading a Congressional sign-on letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz seeking to delay competitive bidding for ostomy and urological supplies.
Delaying implementation of the proposed bidding protocols for these products will allow for a thorough review of serious concerns arising from their potential inclusion in the competitive bidding program, advocates argue.
