Among the greatest tales are those that won’t have made the largest impression at first.

That's why, because the 12 months involves a detailed, House Well being Care Information needed to look again and spotlight a few of our favourite under-the-radar tales. These tales cowl the best-known firms within the trade, the battle between conveners and residential care suppliers, the ultimate fee rule and rather more.

Listed here are a few of HHCN's favourite hidden gems of 2023.

What a mix of the Amedisys-LHC group below Optum would imply for the house care market (June 9)

Arguably one of many greatest mergers and acquisitions to emerge from the house well being care world earlier this 12 months was UnitedHealth Group's (NYSE: UNH) Optum acquisition of LHC Group, with a price ticket of $5.4 billion. deal related.

When Optum threw its hat within the ring for the chance to purchase Amedisys Inc. (Nasdaq: AMED), one other dwelling care big, this information impressed HHCN to think about what it could appear to be to have each firms below one umbrella.

We stacked up Amedisys and LHC Group's dwelling care property, in contrast footprints, checked out every firm's non-home care companies, and extra.

Since this story broke, UnitedHealth Group's Optum has formally agreed to amass Amedisys. Which means dwelling care trade insiders and stakeholders will possible quickly have a clearer image of what these mixed entities will really appear to be. The deal needs to be accomplished in 2024.

Gentiva believes it might flip palliative care from 'loss chief' right into a 'recreation changer' (4 October)

Traditionally, palliative care has been a tough job for dwelling care suppliers. The nation has a tough fee panorama and doesn’t generate massive financial returns for suppliers.

“One of many issues we're actually making an attempt to construct out is a complicated palliative care mannequin,” mentioned David Causby, CEO and president of Gentiva, at House Well being Care Information' FUTURE convention in September. “Palliative care may be very tough nowadays. It’s primarily based on the physician's schedule Half B. It’s a loss chief. There may be merely no good compensation.”

Nonetheless, Gentiva, an organization shaped from the divested dwelling care and hospice property of what was previously known as Kindred at House, believes it will likely be capable of crack the code.

“Personally, we imagine this is without doubt one of the biggest wants,” Causby continued. “One of many largest bills in at the moment's well being care system is for these sufferers who’re within the center bucket and who don’t qualify for dwelling care and don’t qualify for hospice. That's actually the place palliative care needs to be.”

Paul Kusserow, CEO of Amedisys: If the contributors don't change, their day is coming to an finish (9 January)

The difficult – and generally antagonistic – relationship between dwelling care suppliers and coveners is well-known all through the trade. This 12 months, suppliers have spoken out extra publicly about their issues with organizers than ever.

Paul Kusserow, a serious trade participant, went public earlier this 12 months on the JP Morgan Healthcare Convention, the place he issued a dire warning.

“Proper now, I can take higher care of the plan's sufferers than a congressional chief,” he mentioned throughout his look on the convention. “That's the dialog we've had. In the event that they don't change, their day is coming to an finish.”

Enterprise situations are deteriorating as CMS continues to undercut dwelling care suppliers (November 15)

Annually, suppliers present the U.S. Facilities for Medicare & Medicaid Companies (CMS) with mountains of knowledge and proof for the company to contemplate when finalizing the ultimate fee rule for dwelling well being care. Suppliers have come to imagine that this information and testimonials are falling on deaf ears.

“Virtually nothing has modified,” mentioned Luke James, president of VitalCaring, throughout an HHCN webinar held in November. “There was adequate political stress on CMS. I imagine the Senate Finance Committee listening to did a superb job of highlighting the truth of what we face as an trade. The advocacy efforts paid off within the type of a discount within the general finances minimize in the end imposed on the trade within the last rule. However sadly, little or no modified for us.”

Moreover, suppliers proceed to face quite a few challenges, akin to excessive referral rejection charges and excessive LUPA charges.

'We'll be right here for a very long time': A take a look at Vistria Group's home-focused funding technique (September 18th)

The Vistria Group, a Chicago-based personal fairness agency, is without doubt one of the most energetic PE gamers within the dwelling healthcare area. HHCN spoke with David Schuppan – the agency's senior accomplice and co-head of healthcare – to be taught extra in regards to the technique behind the corporate's in depth dwelling care portfolio.

Eliminating non-competitors would have a 'main' impact on the house care world (January 20)

The Federal Commerce Fee's (FTC) proposal to ban non-compete agreements can have main penalties for dwelling care.

“I undoubtedly suppose it's necessary. This can be very necessary,” Angelo Spinola, president of dwelling care, dwelling care and hospice at legislation agency Polsinelli, beforehand advised HHCN. “In case you can't cease a key govt from leaving and competing with you, it’ll have a big impression on the trade.”

For now, it appears just like the FTC has kicked the can down the highway to subsequent 12 months. The FTC will formally vote on the ban in 2024. HHCN will proceed to watch this story carefully.

Keith Myers, former chief of the LHC group, analyzes the choice to affix Optum (27 September)

The information that LHC Group was acquired by Optum from UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) made waves early this 12 months, as talked about above.

In September, Keith Myers took the stage at HHCN's FUTURE convention to supply some perception into what the deal means for LHC Group's subsequent part as an organization.

“We at the moment are positioned as a house care platform inside a broader community of suppliers, and we will collaborate with different suppliers and take part in a threat mannequin and look after extra sufferers,” he mentioned within the fall.