TRENTON, New Jersey– A Florida man admitted his role in a durable medical equipment (DME) kickback scheme, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said.

Patrick Fitchner, 51, of Orlando, Florida, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Aug. 22 before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

DALLAS—Enhabit, Inc. (NYSE: EHAB), a home health and hospice care provider, announced it has satisfied the conditions in its Tax Matters Agreement (“TMA”), dated June 30, 2022, with Encompass Health Corporation to conduct a review of strategic alternatives and has formally initiated such process. As part of this process, the board of directors will consider a wide range of options for the company including, among other things, a potential sale, merger or other strategic transaction.

NEW YORK—MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET) announced a collaboration with Empathy, an end-of-life platform helping families navigate the experiences associated with loss. As part of MetLife’s Beneficiary Claims Concierge Services, which provide compassionate support and guidance, MetLife now offers employees and their beneficiaries enrolled in life insurance access to Empathy’s bereavement care platform.

As cost pressures continue to impact the home medical equipment (HME) community, AAHomecare is launching a nationwide survey to gather intel on the rising costs of products, shipping and labor for those providing home oxygen equipment, CPAP devices and/or hospital beds to end users; aggregated information will be used in advocacy efforts. 

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota—A study from the University of Minnesota (UMN) School of Public Health (SPH) quantified the degree to which home health care patients' race, ethnicity and income level are linked to disparities in their functional improvement. According to the study, this can include clinically significant improvement in activities of daily living and a reduction in dependency on continued medical treatment. 

NEW JERSEY—The Division of Certificate of Need and Licensing within the Health Systems Branch of the New Jersey Department of Health (Department), with the approval of the Health Care Administration Board, proposed to readopt N.J.A.C. 8:42 Licensing Standards for Home Health Agencies, with amendments, repeals, and new rules. The proposal was posted to the State of New Jersey Department of Health website on Aug.

CARY, North Carolina—ACHCU, the educational and training division of Accreditation Commission for Health Care, Inc. (ACHC), announced the inclusion of three new program tracks for its flagship ACHCU Academy event set to take place in January in Orlando, Florida.

ROSEVILLE, California—Always Best Care Senior Services, a senior care franchise system in the United States, has caregiving teams across the country that are focused on keeping seniors safe at home.

NEW YORK—HHAeXchange, a provider of homecare management solutions for providers, managed care organizations (MCOs) and state Medicaid agencies, announced a new partnership with personal care services provider

This story is republished from KFF Health News, a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Learn more about KFF.

By Judith Graham