HomeCare News

(New York) April 29, 2019—HHAeXchange (HHAX) a provider of homecare management software, announced a new organizational structure that will deliver enhanced service to its provider and payer clients. This new organizational structure positions the company for greater scalability and growth, building upon the strategy laid out earlier this year in its partnership with health care-focused private investment firm Cressey & Company LP.

SAN FRANCISCO, (April 25, 2019)—Current Health, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered wearable remote patient monitoring platform (RPM), announced it has received Class II clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for post-acute care. 

TAMPA, Fla. (April 25, 2019)—myCNAjobs.com, a professional caregiver network, announces the release of The Caregiver Trend Report: Disconnected, a comprehensive collection of data and trends for caregiving professionals.

“Seventy-three percent of homecare agency owners are extremely concerned about recruitment and 61% report turning down a case due to lack of staff within the past 30 days,” says Brandi Kurtyka, CEO of Tampa-based myCNAjobs.

LONDON and PLANO, Texas (April 25, 2019)—Belluscura PLC announced that its crowdfunding campaign has exceeded the target raise of £500,000 ($647,000 USD). The campaign will remain open on Crowdcube (crowdcube.com) until May 3 to allow additional people the opportunity to invest in the company.

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (April 24, 2019)—Some 8 million seniors won’t be able to afford the specialty residential care they need, according to a new study—and that means HME and home health care businesses should be preparing to offer them more support at home, Jim Greatorex, vice president of VGM Live at Home, told HomeCare on Wednesday.

PAWTUCKET, R.I. (April 24, 2019)—Ageless Innovation LLC, a global company devoted to developing fun and engaging products for older adults, announced that key members of its leadership team have been recognized as visionaries in the senior living market. Ted Fischer, chief executive officer, was the recipient of the Leadership Longevity Award at the 16th annual What’s Next Boomer Business Summit, a conference for the longevity market.

DALLAS, Texas (April 24, 2019)—Homecare Homebase (HCHB) a provider of mobile home health and hospice software has become the EMR solution for Hosparus Health, a not for profit hospice and palliative care provider serving over 8,000 patients and families throughout Kentucky and Indiana.

HARTFORD, Conn. and PHILADELPHIA (April 23, 2019)—CareCentrix, a pioneer in home-based post-acute care (PAC) solutions, and Turn-Key Health, a provider of community-based palliative care solutions to health plans and provider organizations, announced a partnership which expands the CareCentrix PAC program by integrating Turn-Key’s Palliative Illness Management (PIM) solution for patients burdened by a serious or advanced illness.

(April 23, 2019)—One of the two Medicare trust funds is on pace to run out of funds in seven years, according a report released Monday by the Medicare Board of Trustees. The projections align with last year’s forecasts.

Due to the aging population, spending for the Medicare hospital insurance trust fund--which covers Part A and Part C plans--could be depleted by 2026, the report said. Medicare costs are projected to continue to rise during this time.

WASHINTON, D.C. (April 23, 2019)—The National Association of Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) is currently evaluating possible impacts of the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) on the provision of therapy services. While PDGM is based on 2017 data that reflects the volume of therapy services provided during that year, the payment rate for therapy-oriented patient episodes will be lower than the current rate for the same patients as a result of CMS using different visit cost data.

AGOURA HILLS, Calif. (April 23, 2019)—Casamba, a provider of electronic medical record (EMR) solutions for home health agencies, outpatient therapy, skilled nursing facilities (SNF) and contract therapy providers, announced Forcura has signed on to join the company’s partner network.

LAS VEGAS and AMSTERDAM (April 18, 2019)—Royal Philips, a provider of health technology, introduced new solutions and services at Medtrade Spring 2019. During the show, Philips featured its latest offerings designed to further enhance effective and efficient care for patients with chronic respiratory and sleep conditions. These include the new, patient-focused DreamStation Go Heated Humidifier and DreamWisp, as well as the recent two-way integration of resupply with NikoHealth. 

LAS VEGAS (April 19, 2019)—Registration numbers tracked ahead leading up to Medtrade Spring at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, and organizers say most everyone who registered ending up making the trip.

LAS VEGAS (April 18, 2019)—The final day of Medtrade Spring at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas culminated with the New Product Pavilion Provider’s Choice Awards, sponsored by HomeCare Magazine.

WASHINGTON, (April 18, 2019)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has selected 12 additional items of Durable Medical Equipment (DME) to be subject to required prior authorization (CMS 6080-N2).

CHICAGO (April 17, 2019)—A Chicago-based home health company filed a class action complaint in Federal Court on Friday, April 5, against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and a federal Medicare contractor named AdvanceMed.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (April 17, 2019)—Homecare companies and their employees should be aware that many older adults have easy access to guns—even if some who are mentally impaired or easily agitated—and should discuss safety measures, Mary Ellen Conway, Chief Compliance Officer for US MED, said Tuesday.

Homecare talked to Conway on Tuesday at Medtrade Spring in Las Vegas, Nevada, after a study was released revealing that many older adults have access to firearms in their homes.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (April 16, 2019)—The Board of Certification/Accreditation (BOC) unveiled a new web experience with the launch of its new website.

BOC’s president and CEO, Claudia Zacharias, MBA, CAE, said the new website reflects the organization’s continued commitment to its innovation and customer first values.

ATLANTA (April 16, 2019)—Brightree announced that its Brightree ReSupply solution for home medical equipment (HME) providers has expanded to support additional categories outside of sleep therapy, including incontinence, diabetic and enteral segments.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 15, 2019)—On April 12, 2019, Reps. John Larson (D-Conn.) and Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) introduced H.R. 2293. This legislation excludes manual CRT wheelchairs from the competitive bidding program and suspends the use of bidding-derived pricing for manual CRT accessories for 18 months, similar to what was proposed in the CRT-related provisions of H.R. 7217 in the previous Congressional session. The official text of the new bill is not yet available.