Shot of a senior man looking confused while using a laptop at home

For the first time, the Department of Health and Human Services is releasing ownership data for all Medicare-certified home health and hospice agencies, the agency said Thursday morning.

 “President Biden has called for unprecedented action to increase transparency — and we are making more data publicly available than ever before. Shining a light on ownership data is good for families, good for researchers, and good for enforcement agencies,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. “We will continue delivering on the president’s directive to promote competition and protect consumers.”

The National Association for Home Care & Hospice, which joined other provider groups earlier this year in calling on regulators to strengthen the integrity of the hospice program, applauded the new requirement.

“We appreciate the increased transparency that CMS offers with its home health agency and hospice ownership data,” NAHC President William Dombi said in an email to McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse. “It is clear that CMS is well-positioned to evaluate the concerns we previously brought to its attention regarding the surge in hospice growth in several localities that raise program integrity questions. We will continue to explore this database and its potential uses by the public.“

LeadingAge also approved the measure, pointing out that it had called for increased transparency of home health agencies in comments last year to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on the 2023 proposed home health payment rule.

Members are transparent in their ownership structure and board governance, and are held accountable to their local communities and government at all levels,” LeadingAge President and CEO Katie Smith Sloan said in an email to McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse. “We agree with the administration that ownership and financing of home health and hospice agencies should be transparent to help ensure that owners or associated businesses do not profit at the cost of quality care.”

The announcement follows the government’s efforts to promote transparency in other sectors of healthcare. In December, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released detailed information on the ownership of more than 7,000 Medicare-certified hospitals.

In September, CMS released additional data publicly on the ownership of approximately 15,000 Medicare-certified nursing homes, regardless of any change in ownership, including providing more detailed information about organizational owners of nursing homes.

In addition, one year ago, CMS released data publicly on mergers, acquisitions, consolidations and changes of ownership from 2016–2022 for nursing homes and hospitals enrolled in Medicare.

The disclosure announcement comes on the heels of an executive order to expand Americans’ access to home care and long-term care.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.