Read on for the latest home care industry news from around the country.

Optum Lures Amedisys Away From Option Care Health With $3.3B All-Cash Deal

Home Health Care News | June 26, 2023 | Full Story

Amedisys Inc. (Nasdaq: AMED) and Optum — the diversified health care services arm of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) — have agreed to combine. Under terms of the deal, Optum will acquire the home health and hospice giant Amedisys in an all-cash transaction for $101 per share. That figure puts a roughly $3.3 billion price tag on Amedisys. Optum previously made a bid to buy Amedisys in an all-cash transaction for $100 per share.

Study: Shortages Force 89% of Home Care Agencies to Turn Away Care

McKnight's Home Care | June 26, 2023 | Full Story

MissionCare Collective, the parent organization of myCNAjobs, a job placement, career tools, and training site for caregivers, released a study Friday revealing that a vast majority of home care providers have been forced to turn away care because of workforce shortages.

Findings from the study indicate that 89% of providers have had to deny care because of the workforce crisis. On average, small- and mid-sized care providers refuse 510 care hours each month, the study said. Also, a majority have seen problems surrounding recruitment and retention worsen in the past six months.

Simply Healthcare to Strengthen Health Care Workforce With New Investment in Tampa Nonprofit

Florida Politics | June 21, 2023 | Full Story

Simply Healthcare has made a commitment to play a pivotal role in the health and well-being of Floridians. Earlier this month at the University of South Florida, nearly 200 students participated in an induction ceremony, marking the start of their training in the field of health care. The students range from elementary to college age and will benefit from exposure to health care careers, technical certifications, leadership opportunities, or MCAT preparation support. These students are participants in the Brain Expansions Scholastic Training (B.E.S.T.) Medical Academy, a Tampa Bay-based nonprofit that provides a comprehensive academic curriculum that can inspire and advance a future career in health care. During the induction ceremony, Simply Healthcare Plans (Simply) announced a $75,000 donation to the B.E.S.T. Medical Academy to advance the organization’s shared goal of strengthening Florida’s health care workforce.

Why Some Home Health Providers Are Still Struggling With Low-Utilization Payment Adjustments

Home Health Care News | June 16, 2023 | Full Story

Following the implementation of the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) – and during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — home health providers struggled significantly with Low-Utilization Payment Adjustments (LUPAs). In 2020, nearly two-thirds of agencies said LUPAs at least doubled, according to National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) data.

A Multipronged Approach to Alleviating the Direct Care Workforce Shortage

Health Affairs | June 13, 2023 | Full Story

The nation faces a growing crisis in its direct care workforce, which was devastated by COVID-19 and is facing rising demands for its services. More than 1,000 nursing home, residential care facility, rehabilitation center, and home health care workers left the industry during the first three months of the pandemic, and many did not return.

Federal policymakers should explore strategies to alleviate the workforce shortage. A first step would be to nourish supportive workplaces, which can reduce burnout and make workers feel valued. Policies could start by promoting and enhancing existing resources, such as the Administration for Community Living’s Direct Care Workforce Capacity Building Center, to ensure adequate educational opportunities for all direct care workers. In addition to job-related skills and knowledge, educational opportunities should include training and support to help workers navigate determinants outside of work, such as access to health care, housing, and transportation. Policies could also incentivize states to standardize training requirements to help build career lattices that support workers’ career mobility and ability to work across care settings. Policies should balance the need for standardized training requirements, states’ flexibility in creating standards, and appropriate barriers to entering the field.

A ‘Ticking Backwards Clock’: What Home Health Providers Are Realizing About the Rush Toward Risk

Home Health Care News | June 13, 2023 | Full Story

Home-based care insiders are looking on as outsiders come in and sweep up top assets within their industry. There’s the payers, like UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) and Humana (NYSE: HUM), that are doing so. Then there’s the retailers, such as CVS Health (NYSE: CVS), Walgreens Boots Alliance (Nasdaq: WBA), Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN), and Walmart (NYSE: WMT). Those organizations picking off home health assets is not a problem in a vacuum, however. In fact, their interest is validating, to a certain extent. What’s troubling is what they’re able to do that traditional home-based care providers may not be doing, Chapters Health System President and CEO Andrew Molosky said Tuesday during a panel discussion at the Home Care Innovation + Investment Conference in Chicago.