News and Market Developments
Home Health Care News: ‘Par for the Course’: Why Hospital-at-Home Models Took So Long to Catch On (3/8) – “This really isn’t a new model.” That’s what many home-based care operators and health systems think after they’re asked about the recent hospital-at-home boom in the U.S. In actuality, hospital-at-home models surfaced in the 1990s. Early adopters included Johns Hopkins University, which pioneered its own concept — and proved that it worked — decades before the current buzz. In-home hospital care feels new to many in 2021, however, because widespread adoption has been historically thwarted by the lack of a reliable reimbursement mechanism. That was the case until the COVID-19 crisis forced the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to roll out a dedicated waiver last November.
Skilled Nursing News: Pandemic-Driven Home Health Shifts Trigger Therapy Layoffs, Nursing Home Strategy Changes (3/8) – Lawmakers and policy experts have talked about a need to shift seniors from institutional to home settings for years, and the pandemic has dramatically forced the health care delivery system to do just that: Patients en masse are no longer going to skilled nursing facilities, and instead opting for home health care. The changes may end up being the new normal, leaving SNFs with sicker and sicker patients — and also some families with more limited options.
Landmark Health: (3/8) – On March 8, United States of Care released a report entitled: Older Adults’ Experience of Virtual Care: Action Steps to Increase Access and Equity. In the report, United States of Care features Landmark Health as one of the three case studies reviewing older adult care models and their integration of virtual care, including methods to combat access barriers.
Forbes: That’s Just The Way It Is? Why Home Health Complexities Make Case For Investment, Not Demonization (3/9) – Covid-19 has exacerbated challenges in the home healthcare subsector, while seemingly putting a target on the backs of home health agencies struggling to deliver high-value care. A combination of technology, policy fixes and investment might be the answer.
Amazon Care: Companies of all sizes, including Amazon’s own workforce, will be able to access Amazon Care’s on-demand healthcare service, boosting workplace benefits for employees nationwide (3/17) – Amazon Care launched 18 months ago to provide Amazon employees and their families immediate access to high-quality medical care. The service enables employees to connect with medical professionals via chat or video conference (typically in less than 60 seconds) and eliminates lengthy wait and travel times to get medical attention.
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