Cross Academy Webinar Series: "Identification and Physical Therapy Management of Long COVID: From Symptoms to Systems”

This is cross academy webinar sponsored by APTA Acute care, APTA Federal, Academy of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy and Academy of Orthopedic Physical Therapy titled, “Identification and Physical Therapy Management of Long COVID: From Symptoms to Systems”. This will be a 4 part webinar series presented by Dr. Todd Davenport, Dr. Allison Gustavson, and Dr. Alana Patrick.

Click Here for more information and to register! 

Home Health Referral Trends That are Significant for the Industry in 2023 and Beyond

Home Health Care News | By Andrew Donlan

Home health referrals are well above where they were before the pandemic, but not necessarily at the expense of skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). 

There are now more patients in need of home health services, and those patients tend to be sicker. At the same time, agencies are struggling to meet demand in a tough recruiting and retention environment. 

Those takeaways and others are according to new data reporting from CarePort. 

Specifically, home health referral volumes have reached 122% of 2019 levels. At the same time, SNFs have reached 104% of their referral volume. That is as of this past October. 

“In relative terms, there just continues to be a gap between home health and SNFs, and I expect that gap to continue to widen, because I think COVID led a change in patient preference in terms of going home,” Lissy Hu, president of connected networks at CarePort, told Home Health Care News. “And the response to that by the health systems and payers – because it’s a higher value setting and a lower cost setting of care – is that payers and providers are putting more technology and systems in place to accommodate those patients who can be in the home.”

CarePort – a part of WellSky – is a care coordination software platform. It helps health systems and hospitals connect with post-acute care providers, such as home health agencies.

While increasing home health referrals are mostly welcomed news for providers in the space, more referrals does not exactly mean more business and more bottom-line revenue. 

As the referral rates have been rising, referral rejection rates have also been climbing. In January, for instance, the home health industry’s rejection rate was 58%, according to CarePort. That was at least 16% higher than pre-pandemic levels. 

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Explainer: What do we Know About COVID Variant XBB.1.5?

Reuters: By Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber and Jennifer Rigby

The Omicron subvariant, XBB.1.5, is causing concern among scientists after its rapid spread in the United States in December.

Here is what we know so far:

WHAT IS THE XBB.1.5 SUBVARIANT AND HOW DOES IT BEHAVE?

The World Health Organization's senior epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove said XBB.1.5 is the most transmissible Omicron sub-variant that has been detected so far. It spreads rapidly because of the mutations it contains, allowing it to adhere to cells and replicate easily.

"Our concern is how transmissible it is," Van Kerkhove said in a news briefing on Wednesday.

XBB and XBB.1.5 were estimated to account for 44.1% of COVID-19 cases in the United States in the week of Dec. 31, up from 25.9% in the previous week, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It has also been detected in 28 other countries worldwide, the WHO said.

XBB.1.5 is yet another descendant of Omicron, the most contagious variant of the virus causing COVID-19 that is now globally dominant. It is an offshoot of XBB, first detected in October, which is itself a recombinant of two other Omicron sub-variants.

HOW DANGEROUS IS XBB.1.5?

The WHO said it does not have any data on severity yet, or a clinical picture on its impact. It said that it saw no indication that its severity had changed but that increased transmissibility is always a concern.

"We do expect further waves of infection around the world, but that doesn't have to translate into further waves of death because our countermeasures continue to work," said Van Kerkhove, referring to vaccines and treatments.

She said the WHO was unable to currently attribute the increase in hospitalizations in the northeastern United States to the variant, given that many other respiratory viruses were also in circulation.

Virologists agree that the emergence of the new subvariant does not mean there is a new crisis in the pandemic. New variants are to be expected as the virus continues to spread.

XBB.1.5 is likely to spread globally, but it remains unclear if it will cause its own wave of infections around the world. Current vaccines continue to protect against severe symptoms, hospitalisation and death, the experts say.

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FTC Proposes Rule to Ban Noncompete Clauses, Which Hurt Workers and Harm Competition

Press Release: Federal Trade Commission

The Federal Trade Commission proposed a new rule that would ban employers from imposing noncompetes on their workers, a widespread and often exploitative practice that suppresses wages, hampers innovation, and blocks entrepreneurs from starting new businesses. By stopping this practice, the agency estimates that the new proposed rule could increase wages by nearly $300 billion per year and expand career opportunities for about 30 million Americans.

The FTC is seeking public comment on the proposed rule, which is based on a preliminary finding that noncompetes constitute an unfair method of competition and therefore violate Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act.

“The freedom to change jobs is core to economic liberty and to a competitive, thriving economy,” said Chair Lina M. Khan. “Noncompetes block workers from freely switching jobs, depriving them of higher wages and better working conditions, and depriving businesses of a talent pool that they need to build and expand. By ending this practice, the FTC’s proposed rule would promote greater dynamism, innovation, and healthy competition.”

Companies use noncompetes for workers across industries and job levels, from hairstylists and warehouse workers to doctors and business executives. In many cases, employers use their outsized bargaining power to coerce workers into signing these contracts. Noncompetes harm competition in U.S. labor markets by blocking workers from pursuing better opportunities and by preventing employers from hiring the best available talent.

“Research shows that employers’ use of noncompetes to restrict workers’ mobility significantly suppresses workers’ wages—even for those not subject to noncompetes, or subject to noncompetes that are unenforceable under state law," said Elizabeth Wilkins, Director of the Office of Policy Planning. “The proposed rule would ensure that employers can’t exploit their outsized bargaining power to limit workers’ opportunities and stifle competition.”

The evidence shows that noncompete clauses also hinder innovation and business dynamism in multiple ways—from preventing would-be entrepreneurs from forming competing businesses, to inhibiting workers from bringing innovative ideas to new companies. This ultimately harms consumers; in markets with fewer new entrants and greater concentration, consumers can face higher prices—as seen in the health care sector.

To address these problems, the FTC’s proposed rule would generally prohibit employers from using noncompete clauses. Specifically, the FTC’s new rule would make it illegal for an employer to:

• enter into or attempt to enter into a noncompete with a worker;
• maintain a noncompete with a worker; or
• represent to a worker, under certain circumstances, that the worker is subject to a noncompete.

The proposed rule would apply to independent contractors and anyone who works for an employer, whether paid or unpaid. It would also require employers to rescind existing noncompetes and actively inform workers that they are no longer in effect….

The NPRM invites the public to submit comments on the proposed rule. The FTC will review the comments and may make changes, in a final rule, based on the comments and on the FTC’s further analysis of this issue. Comments will be due 60 days after the Federal Register publishes the proposed rule. The public comment period will be open soon.

The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition, and protect and educate consumers. You can learn more about how competition benefits consumers or file an antitrust complaint.  For the latest news and resources, follow the FTC on social media, subscribe to press releases and read our blog.

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