Trella Health Releases 2021 Post-Acute Care Industry Trend Report

ATLANTA (March 31, 2022)—Trella Health, a source of health care growth insights and performance analytics, announced the release of its 2021 Post-Acute Care Industry Trend Report. Each year, Trella releases this report to reflect the most significant trends impacting the post-acute industry today. Key topics addressed include Medicare Advantage enrollment, inpatient discharges, home health adherence, hospice utilization, skilled nursing admissions, telehealth utilization and NPI closures. This year’s report also includes a special guest forward written by former U.S. Senate Majority Leader and Heart Transplant Surgeon Bill Frist.

“As you dive into the 2021 Post-Acute Care Industry Trend Report, the Medicare Fee-For-Service claims data continues to confirm what we have believed for years: post-acute care plays an essential role in reducing unnecessary healthcare spending in the U.S,” stated Sen. Frist.

In addition to highlighting market and financial trends, the 2021 report explores the ongoing impact COVID-19 has on the industry and what areas are beginning to return to pre-pandemic levels. Some of the key takeaways included:

• At its current growth rate, Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment is set to eclipse 50% of eligible Medicare beneficiaries in 2025.
• Between 2020 Q2 and 2021 Q3, home health instructions increased 2.5 percentage points to 24.1% of inpatient discharges, while skilled nursing instructions declined 2.4 points to 18.6%.
• Adherence to inpatient discharge instructions for the 2020 Q3 to 2021 Q2 reporting period remained consistent at 71.9% and represents a substantial growth opportunity for home health agencies.
• In 2021, inpatient discharge instructions to PAC agencies returned to pre-pandemic levels. Discharges were more likely to be referred to home health services agencies than skilled nursing facilities.

“The post-acute care industry is complex and has experienced significant transition over the past few years due to the pandemic and throughout the shift to value-based care. Trella’s data and insights are critical to making important business decisions that allow for smarter growth, reduced costs, and healthier outcomes,” said CEO of Trella Health, Scott Tapp.

To produce the Industry Trend Report, Trella Health utilizes its exclusive access to 100% Part A, B and claims from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Trella strives to deliver the most impactful and accurate findings to the industry so organizations can make informed decisions that will improve the overall state of healthcare. Serving the majority of the top 100 post-acute organizations as customers, Trella is dedicated to providing insightful data and integrated solutions to enable smarter growth for both its customer base and the health care continuum.

Find Trella’s 2021 Industry Trend Report here. For questions about the report, please reach out to [email protected].