Home Health & Hospice Week

Plus: Two new developments have July 1 target dates.

The world of home care continues to evolve, but activity for pure-play providers carries on.

For example: Livonia, Michigan-based Trinity Health At Home is acquiring Above & Beyond Home Health Care and Hospice based in Monticello, Iowa for undisclosed terms, the Catholic health system-based chain says in a release. Trinity operates 14 home care agencies and five hospice agencies in 13 states, it says. Trinity aims to close the deal by July 1, it says.

And Encompass Health Corp. is nearly at the point of spinning off Enhabit Home Health & Hospice, the Dallas-based company says in a release. Enhabit “filed a Form 10 registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on May 25, 2022, in connection with its spin-off,” it says.

“The spin-off is anticipated to occur on July 1, 2022, subject to various conditions. Upon completion of the spin-off, Enhabit will become an independent, publicly traded company,” the company adds.

Meanwhile, market activity related to physician services in the home seems popular.

In California: SCAN Group, whose holdings include nonprofit Medicare Advantage plan SCAN Health Plan, is forming a medical practice company that “will provide palliative care, chronic disease management, care transition management, and in-depth personal health assessments to people in their homes,” the Long Beach-based company says in a release. SCAN is merging the operations of a newly acquired physician housecall practice (the Residentialist Group) with its own in-home care program (HealthCHEC) to form the new company, named Homebase Medical.

In rural areas: Rural healthcare provider Homeward and pharmacy chain Rite Aid are partnering to “provide access to comprehensive care for those living in rural areas across the U.S.,” San Francisco-based Homeward says in a release. Under the arrangement, “Rite Aid pharmacists will be able to introduce Medicare-eligible customers to Homeward’s clinical services, including annual wellness visits, screenings, and risk assessments. In addition, Rite Aid will host Homeward’s mobile care units at select rural Michigan locations to provide care and services to underserved communities with the goal of expanding to additional markets nationwide,” according to the release. “Homeward providers see members both in community-based, mobile clinics and in members’ homes, as preferred,” the company notes. “Homeward’s technology-enabled care model also includes virtual visits and in-home, cellular-based remote monitoring that keeps patients connected to their multidisciplinary care team.”