HomeCare News

MINNETONKA, Minnesota—Accra, a nonprofit organization that provides individualized homecare services to people with disabilities and older adults, has named LeAnn Frette as its new chief solutions officer. Frette transitions to her new role after serving as Accra’s chief financial officer (CFO) for more than a decade. In place of Frette, Accra has appointed Chad Derner as its new CFO.

WASHINGTON—Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced legislation that would improve access to titanium and carbon fiber wheelchairs for Medicare beneficiaries. The new bill, S 5154, would create two new HCPCS codes for Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) manual wheelchairs and allow for an upgrade within a code.

WATERLOO, Iowa—Leitten Consulting has released a comprehensive report highlighting the critical need for Medicare to shift its focus from competitive bidding to proactive investment in durable medical equipment (DME). The report, authored by Brian Leitten, underscores the cost savings and health benefits of providing timely DME to Medicare beneficiaries. 

MEDFORD, Massachusetts & NEWARK, New Jersey—Innovive Health, a data-driven home health care agency serving complex behavioral health patients, and The Peace of Mind (POM) Safe, a personal safety solution for health care workers, announced a new partnership that aims to offer the POM Safe solution to clinicians. 

HOPKINSVILLE, Kentucky—EZ-ACCESS, a provider of mobility and accessibility solutions, announced another step in its partnership with PBR (Professional Bull Riders) that commits to inclusivity and accessibility for everyone.

BANNOCKBURN, Illinois—BrightStar Care, a homecare and medical staffing franchise, announced a significant business milestone: reaching 400 open locations.

WASHINGTON—The House passed 14 new bipartisan health bills. The following bills were passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and passed the House unanimously. 

WASHINGTON—The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recovered Medicare payments to providers under the COVID-19 Accelerated and Advance Payment (CAAP) programs in compliance with federal requirements, according to an audit conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

ARLINGTON, Virginia—The American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) announced it will be holding webinars on the topics of home medical equipment (HME), e-prescribing strategies, durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers and billing in October. The details of the webinars are listed below.

HELSINKI, Finland—Veri, a health care technology provider focusing on metabolic health, announced it has been acquired by ŌURA, a health technology company and maker of the Oura Ring, which provides 24/7 insights into sleep, fitness and stress for wellness. 

MURFREESBORO, Tennessee—Middle Tennessee Pharmacy Services (MTPS), an innovative long-term care (LTC) pharmacy company and member of Guardian Pharmacy Services, announced the acquisition of the LTC and “MEDIpack” service lines from TwelveStone Health Partners, a provider of comprehensive chronic care medication services.

MONTVALE, New Jersey— Dynarex Corporation, a durable medical equipment and disposable medical product provider, named Amy Strobach as the winner of the 2024 Dynarex Emergency Medical Services (EMS) First Responder Caring Award (FRCA). This award recognizes EMS professionals and agencies that have demonstrated exceptional care through service actions or programs designed to improve the health and safety of the community.

ROLLA, Missouri—Phelps Health Home Health and Hospice, an accessible health care provider, has been recognized by Strategic Healthcare Programs (SHP) as a “superior performer” for achieving an overall patient satisfaction score that ranked in the top 20% of all eligible SHP clients for the 2023 calendar year.

DENVER—InnovAge Holding Corporation, a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) provider, has been selected as a research partner for a national study that will explore how to prevent falls by seniors. September is National PACE Awareness Month and Falls Prevention Month, which aims to emphasize the impact of reducing dangerous falls by seniors. 

NEW YORK—Aura, a personalized care innovation company, launched its at-home health check in New York. The product allows nurses to complete comprehensive blood work, imaging, cognitive tests and more within an hour—all in the comfort of the patient’s home. The resulting panel of 100+ health markers, curated by physicians and scientists, provides data aimed at optimizing health and quality of life.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia—House Doctors, a Premium Service Brands company specializing in handyman services, home repairs and improvements, announced the nationwide reveal of its aging in place service. The program aims to help seniors live independently in their homes for as long as possible through certified home modifications that ensure safety, accessibility and comfort.

ARLINGTON, Virginia—The American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare), a nonprofit organization advocating for home medical equipment (HME) services and supplies policies, and Emerald, a dynamic market platform builder, agreed to extend their partnership in Medtrade through the 2031 show. The extension aims to add strength and certainty to their collaboration, as well as to grow the show and deliver more value to attendees and exhibitors.

TEMPE, Arizona—SYNERGY HomeCare, a non-medical, in-home services franchise, announced its five newest franchise locations in North Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Oregon. The new locations will assist community residents with non-medical homecare options, such as companion care, personal care and respite care. 

MINNEAPOLIS—Tactile Systems Technology Inc., a medical technology company providing therapies for people with chronic disorders, has been approved by the pricing, data analysis and coding (PDAC) contractor for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for the use of health care common procedure coding system (HCPCS) code E0651 for billing the durable medical equipment Medicare administrative contractors for its pneumatic compression platform, “Nimbl.”

MIDVALE, Utah—GetSetUp, a platform providing lifelong learning and discovery for older adults, released its 2024 "Active Aging Report,” showcasing participants’ digital lives and technology uses to manage their health and wellness.