In brief: Rhône buys Invacare Holdings, Express Scripts agrees to changes, AAH names finalists
By HME News Staff
Updated 10:34 AM CST, Fri February 6, 2026
LONDON – Rhône, a global private equity firm, has completed the acquisitions of Invacare Holdings S.ar.l. (Invacare Europe and APAC) and Direct Healthcare Group (DHG), combining the two businesses and associated brands to create DHCare.
The combination brings together brands such as Invacare’s Alber, Kuschall, Action, Rea, Aviva and Aquatec, and DHG’s Dyna-Form Mercury Advance, Quattro range, System RoMedic Solutions and the Raizer falls management device.
Its expanded footprint includes a direct presence in 16 countries and more than 50 established export markets – granting greater reach and improving access to high quality solutions for end-users, health professionals, facilities and commercial partners, company officials say.
“This combination opens up new possibilities for innovation and collaboration, and I am confident that the new organization and leadership team led by Graham Ewart, DHCare will be well positioned to ultimately enhance the quality of life for those served by it, and reshape the future of mobility and care,” said Geoff Purtill, former president and CEO of Invacare.
Post-close, the new leadership team and senior management, including Graham Ewart, former CEO of DHG and new CEO of DHCare, will be communicating directly with employees, customers, partners and suppliers on the forward-looking vision of the new company.
AAHomecare names 2026 Homecare Champion nominees
ARLINGTON, Va. – AAHomecare has named the outstanding leaders nominated for the 2026 Van G. Miller Homecare Champion Award, an honor celebrating individuals who demonstrate exceptional commitment, advocacy and impact across the homecare community.
This year’s nominees are:
- Beth Bowen, executive director of ACMESA, NEMEP and FAHCS.
- Sandra Canally, RN, founder and CEO of the Compliance Team
- Bill Fredericks, CEO of Allcare Medical Supply
- Tony Greco, senior consultant, sales for Cardinal Health at-Home
- Derek Lampert, CEO of Drive Medical
- Pam Pacht, strategist, market access for Nestle Health Science
- John Quinlan, owner/president, Quinlan’s Pharmacy and Medical Equipment
- Donald Reid, sole shareholder and CEO of Total Medical Supply
- Brittany Thompson, contracting manager and billing specialist for KidMed
A brief synopsis of each nominee’s contributions and achievements is available here.
AAHomecare will formerly recognize the 2026 Homecare Champion at Medtrade on March 3 at 2:15 p.m. in Ballroom 120 D.
To read about recent past Homecare Champions:
FTC settles with Express Scripts on agreement to change PBM practices
WASHINGTON – The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has secured a landmark settlement with one of the nation’s largest pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), Express Scripts, Inc., and its affiliated entities (collectively ESI).
According to the FTC, the settlement:
- Requires ESI to adopt fundamental changes to its business practices that increase transparency;
- Will drive down patient out-of-pocket costs for drugs like insulin by up to $7 billion over 10 years;
- Will bring millions of dollars in new revenue to community pharmacies each year; and
- Will advance the Trump Administration’s key health care priorities.
“The FTC’s settlement with Express Scripts is a clear testament to the Trump-Vance FTC’s focus on lowering health care costs for American patients,” said FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson. “The FTC’s settlement with ESI will end its business practices that have kept drug prices high, ultimately providing meaningful financial relief to American patients who depend on ESI to access life-sustaining prescription drugs as well as community pharmacies who will see new revenues each year and relief from being squeezed.”
The FTC’s settlement resolves the commission’s lawsuit against ESI, which charged the company with artificially inflating the list price of insulin drugs by using anticompetitive and unfair rebating practices, and impairing patient access to lower list price products, ultimately shifting the cost of high insulin list prices to vulnerable patients.
The FTC’s enforcement action against ESI, as well as Caremark Rx and OptumRx, alleges that the PBMs created a system that artificially drove up the list prices of drugs by preferencing rebates. The complaint alleges that this system pushed insulin manufacturers, among others, to compete for preferred formulary coverage based on the size of rebates off the list price rather than net price, which ultimately benefitted the PBMs, including ESI, which keep a portion of the inflated rebates.
The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) has sought for years to rein in PBM practices that squash competition, reduce patient access, and drive up prices.
“This settlement will help lower consumers’ copays that have been tied to artificially inflated prices that feed Cigna’s insatiable appetite for more and more rebates and GPO fees,” said NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey. “The settlement also obliterates the big-PBM industry fiction that they work to lower the cost of drugs for Americans. Obviously, the opposite appears to be true. I hope this is only the beginning of righting the games leading to higher drug prices and harming competition.”
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Related: Momentum grows in PBM pushback
Cardinal’s at-Home Solutions helps to push double-digit growth
DUBLIN, Ohio – Cardinal Health has reported that revenue for its Other segment, which includes at-Home Solutions, increased 34% to $1.7 billion for its second quarter fiscal year 2026. Profit for the Other segment increased 52% to $179 million.
Overall, Cardinal Health reported revenue increased 19% to $65.6 billion.
“Our strong second-quarter performance reflects at least double-digit segment profit growth across all five of our operating segments,” said Jason Hollar, CEO of Cardinal Health. “Our ongoing momentum and the team’s consistent execution against our strategic priorities gives us confidence to raise our fiscal 2026 outlook.”
Other overall financial highlights:
- GAAP1 operating earnings increased 29% to $707 million; GAAP diluted EPS increased 19% to $1.97
- Non-GAAP operating earnings increased 38% to $877 million; non-GAAP diluted EPS increased 36% to $2.63
Cardinal Health has raised its fiscal year 2026 non-GAAP EPS guidance to $10.15 to $10.35. This guidance reflects, among other things, profit growth for the Other segment of 33% to 35%, raised from the prior range of 29% to 31%.
Included in the company’s highlights for the quarter is the recently launched ContinuCare Pathway, a pharmacy-to-supplier referral pathway program designed to help retail pharmacies seamlessly refer patients to Cardinal Health at-Home Solutions for the fulfillment and home delivery of diabetes supplies, including continuous glucose monitors (CGMs).
NHIA applauds ‘momentum’ for home infusion coverage improvements
WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives on Feb. 3 passed a government funding bill that includes a change to the qualifying criteria for drugs under Medicare’s home infusion benefit. The National Home Infusion Association (NHIA) believes the change may expand access to certain health care provider-administered drugs if an infusion pump is required for administration.
The change, part of H.R. 4993, the Joe Fiandra Access to Home Infusion Act, creates a path to coverage under the Part B Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetic Devices, Prosthetics, Orthotics, & Supplies (DMEPOS) benefit for a narrow set of drugs that require a health care provider and an infusion pump for administration. The current DMEPOS home infusion benefit is limited to approximately 40 drugs and lacks a payment for pharmacy services, which has limited provider participation in the program, the NHIA says.
“I am encouraged by the momentum in Congress to address the limited access to home infusion that exists for Medicare patients,” said Connie Sullivan, president and CEO of NHIA. “For too long, Medicare has lagged other payers that have recognized the benefits of offering straightforward access to home infusion rather than directing patients to higher cost settings for infusions. Congress needs to take the next step and pass H.R. 2172 and finally establish a benefit that reflects how care is actually delivered. We are ready to support Congress in their efforts to finally fix the broken Medicare home infusion benefit.”
In January, members of the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee also expressed strong bipartisan support for H.R. 2172, the Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act, which would remove barriers to accessing home infusion by establishing coverage for the full scope of professional services that make the benefit function and allow access for patients needing IV anti-infectives, with or without the use of an infusion pump. By comparison, all other payers utilize a bundled payment model to cover all services and supplies and allow access to more than 300 infusion drugs without restrictions for the use of a pump or a limitation on payments for services unless they are delivered face to face, the NHIA says.
Rehab Medical acquires Risch Home Health Care
COLUMBUS, Ohio and INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Rehab Medical has acquired Boomers Medical Equipment, doing business as Risch Home Health Care, a long-standing home medical equipment provider serving central Ohio.
Risch Home Health Care has served the central Ohio community since 1984, earning a reputation for personalized service and clinical expertise for the infant, pediatric, adult and senior population.
“Protecting our patients and ensuring continuity of care was my top priority,” said Robert Bradford, CEO of Boomers Medical Equipment. “Rehab Medical shares our values and commitment to service, and I’m confident our patients and referral partners will continue to receive the same level of care they expect.”
Boomers Medical will transition into Rehab Medical’s existing Columbus office and all four Boomers Medical employees will transition to the new business.
Boomers Medical’s medical supply services will also transition into Rehab Medical’s Resupply Division, allowing for better alignment of services and enhanced support for patients who rely on ongoing medical supplies.
Calvin Hodder, Rehab Medical sales manager from the Dayton, Ohio, office, will lead onboarding efforts to integrate tools, processes and expectations while supporting long-term success.
“This acquisition reflects our commitment to thoughtful growth – strengthening existing markets, integrating great teams, and expanding our ability to serve patients with consistency and care,” said Kevin Gearheart, president of Rehab Medical. “Risch Home Health Care has built a legacy of trust in central Ohio, and we’re proud to carry that forward.”
VGM forecasts opportunities and challenges
WATERLOO, Iowa – VGM & Associates has released “VGM Playbook: Forecasting 2026,” an exclusive resource that the company says is designed to help members anticipate the opportunities, challenges and industry‑shaping trends ahead. Built from insights contributed across VGM’s communities, experts and thought leaders, this playbook features a robust collection of forward‑looking articles focused on what lies ahead for key sectors of the DMEPOS industry in the continuum of health care, VGM says. Critical topics in the playbook include:
- In‑depth forecasts for home medical equipment (HME), respiratory, complex rehab technology (CRT), home access, and orthotics and prosthetics (O&P).
- Reimbursement and regulatory shifts, with an analysis of payer trends and competitive bidding updates.
- Marketplace trends and long‑range forecasts, offering a look ahead to 2030 and beyond; technology, AI, and cybersecurity advancements; and the future of adherence for patient success.
“Our goal with this playbook is simple: to equip VGM members with the foresight, tools, and leadership perspective needed to think clearly, lead intentionally, and act decisively in 2026,” says Lindy Tentinger, president, VGM & Associates. “This highly anticipated resource offers a forward-looking view of the forces shaping the home-based care industry, with practical insights across every major segment we serve.”
Members can download their copy at vgm.com/playbook or by logging in to the VGM members-only portal and downloading it from the Playbook tab.
Former NFL player convicted of health care fraud
WASHINGTON – A federal jury in the Middle District of Florida has convicted Joel Rufus French, of Armory, Miss., the owner of a marketing company and a former NFL player, for his role in a yearslong scheme to bilk Medicare and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) out of nearly $200 million by selling patient information and sham doctor orders for orthotic braces that patients did not want or need. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, French worked with overseas call centers that pressured elderly Americans to provide their personal and health insurance information and agree to accept medically unnecessary orthotic braces. Some of the individuals who agreed to the braces suffered from Alzheimer’s and dementia. French paid sham telemedicine companies to obtain signed orders from doctors and nurse practitioners who never examined, and often never even spoke to, the patients. He sold the orders to marketers and medical supply companies, which then submitted claims to Medicare. French also defrauded Medicare and CHAMPVA by billing the programs for orthotic braces through eight durable medical equipment (DME) supply companies that he owned and managed, using false documents to hide his connection to the companies from Medicare. French faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering, and five years in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Sleep software startup receives investment funding
SHREVEPORT, La. – SleepNavigator Inc., a medical software company that says it is addressing widespread breakdowns in sleep medicine, has raised its first round of funding from a coalition of statewide investors, including Ochsner Health, Boot 64 Ventures and New Louisiana Angel Fund 3. “After more than 30 years running sleep centers, DME services and full-service sleep management, I have seen the many ways this system can fail a patient,” said Lea Desmarteau, founder and CEO of SleepNavigator Inc. “Too many good people are working inside disjointed workflows. We built SleepNavigator to change that with real patients and real teams.” SleepNavigator’s cloud-based platform simplifies and connects every part of the sleep care journey, from referral and scheduling to home and in-lab testing, scoring, interpretation, treatment, and long-term follow-up, the company says. It connects referring physicians, sleep centers, hospital systems, home sleep testing programs, DME and PAP providers, dentists and patients in one united platform with automated workflows, so every step of the sleep care journey is visible, accountable, and easier to manage, it says.
NCPA welcomes passage of PBM reforms
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) applauds the passage of a bill of Feb. 3 to fund the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that it says contains the first meaningful federal reforms to pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) practices. The new law:
- Requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to define and enforce “reasonable and relevant” Medicare Part D contract terms;
- Promotes transparency by allowing CMS to track payment trends to pharmacies and pharmacy inclusion in PBM networks, including a new designation of essential retail pharmacies; and
- Prohibits PBM compensation in Medicare Part D from being tied to the manufacturer’s list price of a drug in an effort to reduce drug prices and save money for taxpayers.
“Community pharmacy owners are the canary in the coal mine when it comes to federal or state prescription programs,” said NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey, pharmacist. “For years, our members and we have been telling anyone who will listen — and worked to convince others who wouldn’t listen — about the PBM-insurer conglomerates gobbling up market share, driving up drug costs, crushing small-business pharmacies, and making it more difficult for patients to receive the care they need. We’ve been warning that unless action is taken, more pharmacies will close, and more pharmacy deserts will grow. Unfortunately, as time passed, we were proven correct and finally, there is action to help reverse these trends.”
There have been several PBM reform bills introduced in Congress, including:
- Senate leaders introduce bipartisan PBM reform bill
- New PBM bill reintroduced in the House of Representatives
AAHomecare updates supplier location tracking, shows decline
ARLINGTON, Va. – AAHomecare’s updated supplier location tracking sheet with CMS data from July 2025 shows there are approximately 8,058 traditional DMEPOS supplier locations nationwide, representing a 1.6% decrease from January 2025. Since the widespread implementation of DMEPOS competitive bidding in 2013, the association has observed an overall decline of about 37.5% in the total number of supplier locations. For more detailed, state-specific results, and to view a nationwide supplier location heat map, see the link here.
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