Home Health & Hospice Week

Aides largest part of HHA workforce. If you're a freestanding home health agency, you are in the majority of the home care market. Sixty-eight percent of the approximately 7,000 home health agency locations in the U.S. are freestanding, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says in its latest market update for the home care industry. And about half of those 7,000 locations are for-profit. Here are more facts CMS' report cites: The largest publicly traded home care company, Gentiva Health Services Inc., comprises only 2 to 3 percent of the market with 200 locations. Medicare home care spending in 2002 was $10 billion, up from $8 billion in 2001. CMS projects Medicare home health spending to grow 12 percent to $14.9 billion in 2003. Overall spending on home care services in 2001 was $33.2 billion. Medicare and Medicaid spending accounted for 51.2 percent of the 2001 spending total, compared to 46.3 percent in 2000. Home health aides make up the largest part of home care workers, with 38 percent of the workforce. Professional nurses follow at 33 percent; vocational nurses 12 percent; physical therapists 5 percent; occupational therapists 2 percent; and social workers 2 percent. The remaining 8 percent are "other" workers.