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The basics:

• U.S. News releases first-ever Best Home Health ratings nationwide
• 43 New Jersey agencies evaluated; 8 earn ‘High Performing’ distinction
• Ratings combine CMS care quality measures, patient experience surveys
• US home health market projected to reach $239B by 2030, amid workforce and tech challenges

For the first time, U.S. News & World Report evaluated post-acute care with the release of the Best Home Health Ratings. 

More than 5,200 agencies met the U.S. News standards for care quality and patient experience. The publication included 43 New Jersey organizations in its analysis. Of the total, eight earned distinction as “High Performing” for exceeding expectations.  

U.S. News & World Report released the new collection of data Feb. 24. It aims to provide a resource for at-home care options following a hospital stay or illness. Nationwide, 1,319 agencies earned Best Home Health Distinction. 

The high-performing New Jersey home health agencies are:

• Cape Regional Home Health Care, Cape May Court House 
• Hunterdon Medical Center Home Health, Flemington 
• Amedisys Home Health of Hackensack NJ, Hackensack 
• Bayada at Inspira, Home Health and Hospice, Millville 
• Atlantic Visiting Nurse, Morristown 
• Valley Home Care of Paramus, Paramus 
• Bayada Home Health Care of Pennsauken, Pennsauken  
• Bayada Home Health Care of Whiting, Whiting 

U.S. News leveraged two CMS data sets for its Best Home Health methodology. It combined data on care quality measures and outcomes with patient experience surveys to determine ratings. 

California had the most Best Home Health Agencies (151). By volume, New Jersey ranked in the bottom third of states. Arkansas, Montana, Vermont and Washington, D.C., had zero agencies.

In the Garden State, Passaic and Burlington counties had most agencies (15), each with three high performing. All of the state’s 21 counties had at least one home health agency. Cape May had the least (three) but two were high-performing. 

U.S. News highlighted how its Best Home Health honorees compare with national averages (based on data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services): 

• Faster start times: Prompt initiation of care can help patients manage the transition from hospital to home
• Better mobility: Recovering movement lost during a hospitalization is often an important goal of home health
• Daily independence: Patients were also more likely to get better at getting out of bed, bathing themselves and taking medicines correctly — important signs of recovery 

PwC projects the U.S. home health care market will reach $239 billion by 2030, representing compound annual growth rate of 7.7%. Contributing factors include consumer preference; an aging patient population; digital innovation; and regulatory momentum, such as Medicare reimbursements and value-based models, according to the report. 

But challenges come with that growth. Among them, the PwC paper noted workforce shortages, fragmented infrastructure and the lack of a tech-enabled administrative model. “To succeed, health systems should define their care-at-home services, identify and build enabling capabilities, and invest in scalable technologies that elevate care outcomes and patient experiences,” the report states. 

The Best Home Health ratings join U.S. News’ suite of post-acute care evaluations, including Best Nursing Homes and Best Hospitals for Rehabilitation. 

“These new ratings are intended to serve as a helpful starting point, offering a clear view of agencies that have demonstrated a track record of positive patient outcomes and satisfied consumers,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News.