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Chemed declares 163rd consecutive quarterly dividend

Chemed Corporation announced today that the Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 16 cents per share on the Company's capital stock, payable on March 19, 2012, to shareholders of record as of February 27, 2012.

18 Feb 2012

Ensign acquires Connected Home Health

The Ensign Group, Inc., announced today that an Ensign subsidiary has acquired Connected Home Health, a small home health agency based in Portland, Oregon. The asset acquisition was effective as of February 10, 2012.

13 Feb 2012

Have some for-profit hospices learned to work the Medicare system?

Lois Armstrong and David Daucher closed their for-profit hospice in October to get out from under more than $27 million in refunds it owed the federal Medicare program, they said.

6 Feb 2012

Roundtable discusses importance and potential benefits of palliative care in the ICU

If you think palliative care and the ICU don't go together, think again. The importance and potential benefits of palliative care to ease suffering and improve quality of life for patients being treated in hospital intensive care units (ICUs) has received increasing recognition but is not without significant challenges, as discussed in a Roundtable discussion in Journal of Palliative Medicine, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

1 Feb 2012

Hospice of the Western Reserve receives Jeff Gordon Children's Foundation grant

Hospice of the Western Reserve is one of five organizations nationwide to receive a grant from Jeff Gordon Children's Foundation, a non-profit organization in Charlotte, N.C., founded by four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon.

31 Jan 2012

Hospice company accused of Medicare fraud

A national for-profit hospice care company that is partially owned by a San Francisco private equity firm has allegedly bilked Medicare of millions of dollars, according to a legal complaint filed this week by the U.S. Department of Justice.

7 Jan 2012

Lawsuit alleges hospice co. improperly pushed patients through nursing homes; N.Y. prosecutor investigates hospital practices

Kaiser Health News reports that a lawsuit unsealed this week alleges that a national hospice company committed Medicare fraud by improperly cycling patients through nursing homes. In the meantime, a N.Y. prosecutor is investigating a hospital's management practices.

6 Jan 2012

First Edition: January 5, 2012

Today's headlines include a report that health law opponents want to add plaintiffs to their lawsuit as well as dispatches from the GOP primary election compaign trail.

5 Jan 2012

Aseracare hospice in a federal lawsuit brought forth by whistleblowers

According to a federal lawsuit, AseraCare Hospice submitted “false and fraudulent” claims for payment to the U.S. and misspent millions of dollars in Medicare money meant for the care of terminally ill patients. AseraCare, based in Fort Smith, Arkansas, runs 65 hospice centers in 19 states, according to the lawsuit.

4 Jan 2012

Single shared REMS for TIRF products receives FDA approval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a single shared Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) for the transmucosal immediate-release fentanyl (TIRF) products. This new shared system will replace the individual REMS and allow prescribers and pharmacies to enroll into just one system, easing the burden on the health care system.

30 Dec 2011

NHF distributes $55,000 to 35 hospices around the country

As 2011 comes to a close, the National Hospice Foundation is pleased to announce that it has distributed $55,000 to 35 hospices around the country, thanks to the generosity and dedication of participants in its Run to Remember program.

26 Dec 2011

Viewpoints: Republicans' 'gift' to Obama; Essential benefits rule a 'lump of coal'

One photo snapped Wednesday on Capitol Hill captured the essence of Congress in 2011. It showed a group of senior House Republicans sitting on one side of a long table, waiting for their Senate counterparts to show up for a negotiating session the House had demanded. ... What viewers should really have seen in the photo was the Republican leadership team whose miscalculations may soon cause payroll taxes to go up -; and unemployment benefits to be truncated, and payment rates to Medicare doctors slashed. That's on the verge of happening.

23 Dec 2011

Analysis: Many not-for-profit hospitals spend less than 2% on charity care

Media outlets ponder the financial status of not-for-profit hospitals, as well as the challenges facing those in rural communities. Also in the news, the hospice industry continues to fare well.

20 Dec 2011

State roundup: Financial issues threaten N.Y.'s Brookdale Hospital

On two separate occasions this year, Brookdale Hospital Medical Center-;a once-venerable institution that serves some of the city's most impoverished patients-;has been threatened with expulsion from public-health insurance programs after flunking multiple government safety inspections. The hospital relies heavily on Medicaid and Medicare for financial support.

20 Dec 2011

Halcyon Healthcare acquires Compassionate Hospice and Altus Healthcare & Hospice

Halcyon Healthcare, a portfolio company of Health Evolution Partners, announced today the completion of two hospice acquisitions in central and northern Georgia. The acquired companies, Compassionate Hospice and Altus Healthcare & Hospice, mark the first two transactions for Halcyon. Halcyon was formed in 2010 by HEP, Dan Kohl and Jack Draughon to build a leading hospice and home health company in the Southeastern U.S.

19 Dec 2011

First Edition: December 19, 2011

In today's headlines, the tax cut extension bill -- which includes a temporary Medicare 'doc fix' -- has hit a new snag.

19 Dec 2011

Magellan launches Community Impact Report

Magellan Health Services released today its Community Impact Report, detailing the company's efforts to leverage its specialty health expertise in support of local communities and organizations across the country.

12 Dec 2011

Business of Health: Iowa companies merging, 'rapid' growth for Mass. for-profit chain

In Iowa, two nonprofit nursing services are joining, and in Mass., Steward Health Care System's growth is worrying community hospitals.

7 Dec 2011

USA Today: Health law provision triggered $1.5 billion in prescription drug savings for beneficiaries

USA Today notes that the government is expected to announce today that the health law's Medicare doughnut hole provision triggered this savings. In other Medicare news, the federal government announced Monday that Medicare will allow its claims database to be used by employers, insurance companies and consumer groups.

7 Dec 2011

Hospice family caregivers require unique care needs

A study led by the University of Kentucky researcher Elaine Wittenberg-Lyles found that hospice family caregivers are "second order patients" themselves and require their own unique care needs.

1 Dec 2011