Home healthcare is set to explode in the next few years, thanks to the availability of practitioners and service providers. Globe Newswire notes that home healthcare could hit $482.97 billion as soon as 2026. Home care agencies have diversified the services they offer. Not only are they solely focused on aide services, but they now provide fully-featured nursing care alongside occupational and physical therapies.
Important Points to Note
Unfortunately, the quality of healthcare by each state can vary drastically. This reality is further exacerbated by how Medicare and Medicaid work. Investopedia mentions that both Medicare and Medicaid are funded at both federal and state levels. This fact means that support for any home care is the purvey of the state itself. The result is a marked difference in program capacity from state to state.
Additionally, while home healthcare providers might not rely on customers with Medicare or Medicaid, marketing for these businesses focuses on individuals over the age of 65. In states with a large population over this age, there tends to be more competition in the market. As a result, there is better delivery of services. Companies that are in such a saturated market need to compete by presenting the best service possible.
The States by Numbers
The numbers represented here form part of a study done by Insurify, that categorizes home healthcare with a score stated as a percentage. The score is calculated based on a handful of variables, including timeliness and efficiency of responses. Additional metrics that also factored into the calculation include communication with the patient, how professional the home care provider was, and whether the patient would recommend it to someone else in the future. The top ten states and their scores are as follows:
10. Kansas: 90.920
9. Arkansas: 90.950
8. Louisiana: 90.950
7. New Hampshire: 91.125
6. Kentucky: 91.175
5. West Virginia: 91.180
4. South Carolina: 91.230
3 Alabama: 91.260
2. Mississippi: 91.325
1. South Dakota: 91.525
As is immediately apparent from the results, there is little separating the top ten states. Some states barely missed out on getting a mention because of lower funding from Medicare/Medicaid. Skylark Home Care in Georgia can attest to a lot of people in the state who still need quality home healthcare. The competition will remain stiff within the home healthcare market between states, but this is a good thing. As providers strive to compete, and local jurisdictions seek to make their legislation better, the consumer stands to benefit. Affordable home healthcare might actually be something we see during our lifetimes.
