WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 19, 2021)—Stakeholders representing health care providers and end users with medical needs developed a white paper to educate payers and state Medicaid programs on the types of products and services needed to successfully manage an individual’s bowel and bladder needs in a home-based setting to achieve the Triple Aim of improving patient experience and health outcomes while reducing overall cost. 
 

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (August 19, 2021)—A surge in demand for sleep and respiratory devices in the wake of a Philips Respironics recall has created “an unprecedented increase in demand” for Resmed devices, the company’s CEO said—but supply chain and freight limitations are making it hard for the company to keep up. Nonetheless, the company could realize $300 million-$350 million in unplanned additional revenue in fiscal year 2022, he said.

NEW YORK (August 18, 2021)—Inc. Magazine revealed that Proactive Medical Products has been ranked as No. 1978 on its annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within American independent small businesses. Intuit, Zappos, Under Armour, Microsoft, Patagonia, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000. 

PUTNAM VALLEY, N.Y. (August 18, 2021)—Always An Angel Homecare, a faith-based senior homecare franchise providing nonmedical comprehensive home health care solutions, announced the expansion of the brand’s home office in Putnam County, New York, the opening of a satellite office in White Plains, New York, and the launch of a second affiliate agency to meet the growing demand for home health care.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (August 18, 2021)—Element5, an automation as a service solution leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic process automation (RPA) for post-acute care, announced the closing of its Series A round of funding led by global private equity and venture capital firm Insight Partners. The fundraising round also saw participation from industry leaders, Maxwell Investment Partners, LLC.

CLEARWATER & SARASOTA, Fla. (August 18, 2021)—Empath Health is pleased to announce its senior-level chief positions serving the newly merged not-for-profit created by the merger of Empath Health and Stratum Health System. The full-life care provider serving Tampa Bay and southwest Florida provides care and support for those with chronic and advanced illnesses and/or those dealing with grief.
 

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (August 16, 2021)—Woundtech, a wound management company serving Medicare Advantage health plans and at-risk senior care provider groups, announced that Brian Wise has been named as its chief executive officer. Brian Wise succeeds Founder Jeffrey Galitz, MD who will continue as a member of the board of directors and advise the company on strategic and clinical direction.  

SAN DIEGO (August 16, 2021)—ResMed, a provider of digital health and sleep apnea treatment, launched AirSense 11, available first in the United States, the company’s next-generation PAP (positive airway pressure) device designed to help hundreds of millions of people worldwide with sleep apnea start and stay on therapy to treat and manage obstructive sleep apnea.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (August 13, 2021)—National Seating & Mobility (NSM), a provider of comprehensive mobility solutions, has launched a strategic partnership with SYNERGY HomeCare as part of NSM’s Solutions for Accessible & Functional Environments (SAFE) program. The partnership pilot, the first involving any in-home care provider, begins this month in 40 SYNERGY HomeCare locations across five states. The partnership will expand nationally by year end.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 13, 2021)—On a party line vote, the U.S. House of Representatives advanced the annual appropriations for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for fiscal year 2022, approving $119 billion in discretionary spending, an increase of $23 billion over the previous year.

(Discretionary spending does not include Medicare and Medicaid care-related expenses, as that is considered mandatory spending and not subject to the annual appropriations process.)

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (August 12, 2021)—Sorry, Joe Namath. Despite what you keep saying in those TV ads, under Medicare, seniors are not “entitled to eliminate copays and get dental care, dentures, eyeglasses, prescription drug coverage, in-home aides, unlimited transportation and home-delivered meals, all at no additional cost.” But if Democratic lawmakers in Congress have their say, seniors could soon be entitled to some of those services.

NEWARK, N.J. (August 12, 2021)—A federal grand jury in Newark, New Jersey, returned a superseding indictment this week charging a Florida owner of multiple telemedicine companies with orchestrating a health care fraud and illegal kickback scheme that involved the submission of over $784 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare. This is one of the largest Medicare fraud schemes ever charged by the Justice Department.

ATLANTA and BURLINGAME, Calif., (August 12, 2021)—Sharecare, the digital health company that helps people manage all their health in one place, today announced that it has closed its acquisition of CareLinx, a digital on-demand platform of tech-enabled care providers. Sharecare has acquired CareLinx from Europ Assistance, one of the largest global assistance companies.