The survey of nearly 550 home health care professionals reveals that the two greatest challenges in 2020 are staffing shortages and changing payment models like PDGM. While payment reforms are driving increased technology adoption, over 40% do not plan to change platforms. Despite uncertainty from PDGM, nearly a quarter still view home health as a top growth area for 2020.

1. 2020 Home Health Care News
Outlook Survey and Report
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2. The age of PDGM is upon us
When the clock struck 2020, the world
of home health turned upside down.
That’s when the Patient-Driven Groupings
Model, or PDGM, took effect in Medicare-certified
home health, drastically altering everything
providers know about how they get paid — and
as a result, how they run their businesses, staff
their cases and, critically, use technology.
Meanwhile, their colleagues in the world of
non-medical home care are bullish on the year
ahead, as PDGM stands to potentially increase
seniors’ needs for all in-home care services.
And yet, as our 2020 outlook survey reveals,
nothing is quite so simple in the world of
PDGM, as a significant portion of industry leaders
remain positive about the growth potential
of home health.
That insight and more are the result of
the 2020 Home Health Care News Outlook
Survey and Report, brought to you by HHCN
in partnership with Homecare Homebase.
We hope this industry outlook data will help
you and your business navigate the year ahead.
Robert Holly
Editor, Home Health Care News

3. Executive Summary
The 2020 Home Health Care News Outlook Survey and Report reveals
the views of nearly 550 individuals polled about the home-based care
industry for 2020. The survey, conducted online from December 2019 to
January 2020, asked agencies about:
• The greatest challenges facing the industry this year
• The largest growth areas where providers can thrive
• The biggest drivers of technology adoption
• The impact PDGM will have on the home-based care business, in
everything from technology platforms to therapy utilization
Results of the survey show how a combination of staffing challenges
and changing payment models will drive executive decisions within
home health and home care in the year ahead.

4. Staffing, changing
payment models
are the two biggest
challenges for in-home
care agencies in 2020
Historically low unemployment
rates mixed with competitive options
for hourly workers outside of in-home
care has made staffing the industry’s
top challenge in 2020. Right behind
it, though, are changing payment
models, due to the launch of PDGM
on January 1 and the continued
growth of Medicare Advantage
plan adoption.
New payment models
are the top driver of
technology adoption
in 2020
Nearly half of all in-home care
providers view either PDGM or
Medicare Advantage as the top
technology driver of the new
year, as agencies both large and
small begin their push for
compliance. Staffing is next,
showing once again where
priorities rest.
Despite uncertainty in
home health, industry
insiders still view it as a
strong growth opportunity
Despite changing payment models
and other factors building a wave
of uncertainty in Medicare-certified
home health, nearly a quarter of
respondents view it as the strongest
growth area of 2020. This could be
because they’re not concerned
about the impact of PDGM — or
because they’re ready to buy low
on agencies whose owners are.
Key Takeaways

5. 5
What is the greatest growth
area for the home-based care
industry in 2020?
Despite staffing challenges, home-based care professionals are
bullish on home care in 2020. Meanwhile, despite PDGM, nearly
a quarter of those surveyed viewing home health as a top area for
growth potential
What is the greatest
challenge to the in-home
care industry in 2020?
Nearly 90% of respondents view staffing along
with changing payment models — including the
launch of PDGM, and the continued growth of
Medicare Advantage — as the top challenge to
the in-home care industry in 2020.
44% Staffing
43% Changing
payment models
4% Consolidation /
shifting market
3% Non-payment-
related regulatory
changes
5% Other
30% Private-duty
home care
24% Medicare-certified
home health
17% Hospice
12% Palliative Care
10% Private-duty
home health
7% Other

6. 6
How do you anticipate PDGM
will impact therapy utilization
in your agency?
Which of the following do
you find most important
in terms of driving tech
adoption in 2020?
Changing payment models are the dominant drivers
for tech adoption in 2020, with PDGM just ahead of
the ever-expanding Medicare Advantage.
While 52% of provider respondents believe that PDGM
will force a decrease in therapy utilization, another
28% are unsure about its impact. This is a massive shift
from the results in a similar survey from the National
Association for Home Care Hospice (NAHC) in June of
2019, in which only 16% of respondents selected “unsure”
as their choice.
38% Decrease more
than 10%
14% Decrease less
than 10%
14% Stay the same
5% Increase
28% Unsure
Referral
partnerships
17%
Staff
satisfaction
18%
Medicare
Advantage
21%
PDGM 27%
Regulatory
dynamics
18%

7. 7
What might prompt you to make
a change in the technology
platform(s) your organization
uses? (Select all that apply)
While reimbursement challenges, regulatory changes and
the needs to reduce operating costs are all expected to drive
technology platform changes in 2020, a plurality of home-
based care providers (41%) actually don’t anticipate making
any technology platform changes at all.
In which of the following areas
can your company achieve
the greatest business
efficiencies in 2020?
Staffing challenges remain a vital need for new
efficiencies in 2020, but in a home health landscape
that is both more complex and competitive than ever,
referrals and revenue cycle management are close behind,
according to provider survey respondents.
39% Staffing utilization
25% Referrals
23% Revenue cycle
management
14% Scheduling
I don’t anticipate
making any changes
41%
Poor training 13%
Poor customer service 16%
Security breach / incident 9%
Payment /
Reimbursement
32%
Regulatory compliance
tracking
27%
Need to reduce
operating costs
24%

8. 8
Over the next 12 months, what types of
remote-patient monitoring technology does
your company plan to consider or invest in?
(Select all that apply)
How great an impact will
interoperability and data sharing
have on your organization’s growth
plans and opportunities in 2020?
Nearly 60% of home-based care providers believe
that interoperability and data sharing will have a
moderate-to-high impact on their organizational
growth plans and opportunities in 2020 — while
nearly 30% don’t know at all.
Nearly 40% of provider respondents don’t plan
to invest in any remote-patient monitoring
technology in 2020. Among those who do,
chronic disease management — such as diabetes,
high blood pressure or COPD — is the top type.
30% Moderate
29% High
28% Don’t know
12% Low
None 40%
Wandering/
Dementia
assistance
14%
Fall prevention 26%
Chronic disease
management 44%
Vital signs
monitoring 28%

9. Contact Us
We’re happy to hear from readers
with questions, comments, concerns
and story ideas.
phone 312-809-5755
email info@homehealthcarenews.com
Contact HCHB to Learn More
phone 1.877.853.1492
email hchbinfo@hchb.com
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