Amedisys Inc. has closed on its acquisition of Homecare Preferred Choice Inc. doing business as AseraCare Hospice, the Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based chain says in a release. Amedisys paid $235 million in cash for AseraCare, including a $32 million tax asset bringing the net purchase price to $203 million. Amedisys’ hospice operations now will include 190 locations in 35 states, with an average daily census of about 14,000 patients and about 7,000 hospice employees, the company says.