What Bluegrass Care Navigators does

Bluegrass Care Navigators (legal entity Hospice of the Bluegrass dba Bluegrass Care Navigators) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit healthcare organization founded in 1978 in Lexington, Kentucky, and operating across 32 counties in northern, central, and eastern Kentucky through seven regional offices, two inpatient hospice care centers, and a PACE center with an alternative-care site in Frankfort. The organization delivers a full continuum of serious-illness and end-of-life services — hospice, palliative, PACE, transitional, Bright Path pediatric palliative, Bluegrass Dementia Care (under the CMS GUIDE Model), grief counseling, integrative medicine, a HUD-funded Home Modification Program, and a Kentucky Medicaid Outpatient Supply Program — to patients and their families using interdisciplinary teams of physicians, nurses, nursing assistants, social workers, and chaplains. Its core capability is care coordination and team-based clinical delivery rather than a proprietary technology platform; supporting infrastructure includes an in-house pharmacy with bedside medication delivery, telehealth-based dementia assessment, and co-located inpatient beds within hospital partner facilities.

The business model is dominated by capitated and fee-for-service reimbursement from Medicare (Part A for hospice, Parts A&B under GUIDE for dementia care), Medicaid (including Kentucky MCOs for hospice, palliative, supplies, PACE), and major private insurers. PACE, hospice, and palliative services are largely 100% covered for eligible patients; several programs — Bright Path pediatric palliative care, integrative medicine, community grief counseling, and home modifications — are not fully covered by insurance and are sustained through philanthropic donations, grants (HUD, CommonSpirit, foundation support), and volunteer labor. GTM is referral- and relationship-driven: hospitals (UK HealthCare, Baptist Health, Saint Joseph), nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and physicians refer the majority of patients; payor relationships with MCOs and CMS authorize reimbursement; and community education, donor engagement, and word-of-mouth from families served sustain pipeline.

Recent strategic activity (2025–2026) indicates an organization pivoting from a hospice-only operator to an integrated serious-illness platform: a rebrand from Hospice of the Bluegrass, GUIDE Model participation, expansion of Transitional Care into additional Appalachian counties, a food-insecurity partnership with God's Pantry, and entry into home modification — together suggesting a strategy that monetizes scale, referral density, and CMS-aligned programs while layering social-determinants services on top of clinical care.

Name

Bluegrass Care Navigators

Legal name

Hospice of the Bluegrass dba Bluegrass Care Navigators

Website

https://bgcarenav.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Bluegrass Care Navigators is a Kentucky-based nonprofit founded in 1978 that delivers hospice, palliative, PACE, transitional, pediatric, dementia, grief, and home-modification services to seriously ill patients and their families across 32 counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospice and Palliative Care Services

NAICS

Home Health Care Services (62161), Nursing and Residential Care Facilities (623), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Hospice & Palliative Care Care Coordination / Navigation (HLADAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Home Hospice Agencies (HLAFAEAC), Routine In-Home Hospice Care (HSABAFAA), Non-Hospice Serious-Illness / Community-Based Palliative Care (In-Home) (HSABAFAF), Care Navigation & Service Coordination (Medical, Social, Community) (HSABAIAB), In-Home Hospice Nursing Visits (RN/LPN) (HSABAFAL), In-Home Hospice Physician / Nurse Practitioner Visits (HSABAFAM), Dementia Care Coordination & Care Planning (HSABAEAJ), Family Caregiver Coaching, Education & Support (HSABAIAI)

Keywords

• Hospice care services
• Palliative care programs
• PACE program services
• Bereavement grief counseling
• Pediatric palliative care

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Hospice Care Reimbursement: Hospice care is a fully-covered benefit under Medicare Part A, Medicaid, and most private insurance. Equipment, medication, care team services, and other required hospice benefits related to the terminal diagnosis are typically 100% covered. Revenue is generated through capitated per-diem reimbursement rates from Medicare/Medicaid for hospice services.
2. PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly): PACE provides comprehensive care for adults 55+ who need nursing home-level care but can safely live in the community. Services are 100% covered for participants with both Medicare and Medicaid, or Medicaid only. Revenue comes from capitated payments from Medicare and Medicaid programs.
3. Palliative Care Reimbursement: Palliative care is covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance plans. Revenue is generated through standard healthcare billing for physician visits, care coordination, and home-based services.
4. Outpatient Supply Program: Provides incontinence, ostomy, and other urinary supplies to Kentucky Medicaid patients. Supplies are shipped directly to patients with free home delivery. Revenue is derived from Medicaid reimbursement for medical supplies.
5. Donations and Philanthropy: As a nonprofit organization, Bluegrass Care Navigators relies on charitable donations from the community to support programs not covered by insurance (e.g., Bright Path pediatric palliative care, integrative medicine, grief counseling for community members). Donations include one-time gifts, monthly recurring gifts, planned gifts, gifts of stock, and in-kind donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Bluegrass Care Navigators is a Kentucky-based nonprofit provider of hospice, palliative, and serious-illness care delivered through interdisciplinary teams in patients' homes, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and dedicated inpatient hospice care centers. The organization operates a PACE program for adults 55+, specialized pediatric palliative care (Bright Path), dementia care under the CMS GUIDE Model, grief and bereavement support, transitional care, integrative medicine, a Home Modification Program, and an Outpatient Supply Program, supported by an in-house pharmacy and seven regional offices covering 32 counties.

Product overview

Bluegrass Care Navigators is a nonprofit hospice and palliative care organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of healthcare services across 32 counties in Kentucky. The organization operates multiple interconnected care programs including Hospice Care (the core service since 1978), Palliative Care, PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly), Transitional Care, and specialized programs such as Bright Path (pediatric palliative care), Dementia Care (via the GUIDE Model), Grief Care, Integrative Medicine, Home Modification Program, and Outpatient Supply Program. These services work together to provide continuous, coordinated care supporting patients and families throughout serious illness, from diagnosis through end-of-life care and bereavement support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bright Path: Pediatric palliative care program for infants, children, adolescents, and young adults with serious illness
• Bluegrass Dementia Care
• Bluegrass PACE Care
• Bluegrass Palliative Care
• Bluegrass Transitional Care
• Home Modification Program
• Outpatient Supply Program

Products and services

• Hospice Care Physical, emotional, and spiritual care for patients with a terminal diagnosis (life expectancy of six months or less) delivered by an interdisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, nursing assistants, social workers, and chaplains, with 24/7 support, medical equipment, medications, and grief counseling.
• Bright Path (Pediatric Palliative Care) Specialized medical care for infants, children, adolescents, and young adults living with serious illness such as progressive cancer, neuromuscular disorders, genetic/congenital diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, and cardiovascular or pulmonary disorders, including symptom management, medication management, goals of care, spiritual support, and family counseling.
• Dementia Care (Bluegrass Dementia Care) Comprehensive dementia care program delivered through the CMS GUIDE Model, providing telehealth assessments, care navigation, 24/7 support, and coordinated respite care for Medicare Parts A & B beneficiaries diagnosed with mild, moderate, or severe dementia.
• Grief Care Bereavement counseling and support services for individuals and families experiencing loss, including support groups, individual counseling, camps for children, bereavement education, and crisis response.
• Home Modification Program Free home safety modifications including grab bars, handrails, non-slip flooring, improved lighting, and ramps for adults aged 62 or older in Fayette County with income at or below 80% of area median income who want to age in place safely.
• Integrative Medicine Complementary therapies including animal-assisted therapy, art therapy, music therapy, and massage therapy delivered alongside traditional medical practices to optimize patient well-being, with activities such as memory-making kits for hospital inpatients.
• Outpatient Supply Program Free home delivery of incontinence, ostomy, and urinary supplies for Kentucky Medicaid and Medicaid Managed Care patients aged 3+ who are diagnosed with incontinence as a secondary diagnosis and are under a provider's care.
• PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) Comprehensive all-inclusive care program for adults aged 55+ who need nursing-home-level care but can safely live in the community, providing primary care, transportation, meals, social activities, pharmacy, physical and occupational therapy, and personal care from the Bluegrass PACE Care Center in Lexington and a limited alternative care site in Frankfort.
• Palliative Care Specialized medical care focused on relieving symptoms and stress of serious illness for patients, caregivers, and families, delivered through home-based visits, hospital visits (including at Baptist Health Lexington, Baptist Health Corbin, Saint Joseph Hospital, and Saint Joseph East), and facility visits.
• Transitional Care Care coordination program providing expert nurses who offer care, education, and support to help patients transition from hospital to home and reduce hospital readmissions, including an expansion in partnership with Saint Joseph London serving Laurel, Jackson, and Whitley Counties.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% of Bluegrass Hospice Care patients and families rate patient care favorably
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• God's PantrycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2026Bluegrass Care Navigators partnered with God's Pantry to provide food boxes to patients experiencing food insecurity across its service lines. God's Pantry's Health Care Pantry Program connects healthcare providers with resources that support healing through proper nutrition. Bluegrass Care Navigators team members and volunteers screen patients and deliver food boxes monthly. In the first month, 50 boxes were delivered to medically frail older adults. Each box is valued at approximately $17 and can feed a household for 1–2 days.
• Lexington Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Home Modification Program is provided in partnership with the Lexington Fayette Urban County Government, which co-funds the program along with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grants. The program provides no-cost home modifications (grab bars, ramps, lighting, non-slip flooring) to low-income seniors in Fayette County.
• Saint Joseph LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBluegrass Care Navigators expanded its Bluegrass Transitional Care Program through a grant award in partnership with Saint Joseph London. This expansion improves access to care and chronic disease management for high-risk patients across Laurel, Jackson, and Whitley Counties.
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) — GUIDE ModelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBluegrass Care Navigators participates in the CMS Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model through its Bluegrass Dementia Care program. This provides a standardized approach to dementia care including comprehensive care coordination, caregiver education, respite care coordination, and a 24/7 support line for people living with dementia.
• University of Kentucky ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK Research is conducting a study on the effectiveness of combining music therapy and social work. Bluegrass Care Navigators promotes this study to Kentucky seniors aged 65+ and supports recruitment for participants in the research program.
• UK HealthCarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK HealthCare hosts the Bluegrass Hospice Care Center at UK Good Samaritan Hospital (310 S Limestone, 4 West, Lexington, KY 40508). This 11-room inpatient hospice unit is operated by Bluegrass Care Navigators within the hospital, providing around-the-clock inpatient hospice care in a homelike environment.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hosparus Health: Kentucky-based nonprofit hospice, palliative, and grief care organization serving more than a dozen Kentucky and Southern Indiana counties. Most directly comparable to BCN given overlapping geography, similar mission-driven nonprofit structure, and parallel service portfolio including hospice, palliative, and bereavement programs.
• Ohio's Hospice: Regional nonprofit hospice organization formed through partnerships with multiple Ohio community hospices. Comparable to BCN in nonprofit mission, multi-county Ohio footprint, and integrated hospice/palliative/grief service lines.
• Hospice Care Plus: Kentucky-based nonprofit hospice provider serving multiple counties in central and southeastern Kentucky. Comparable to BCN as a regional nonprofit hospice operator with overlapping service territory and similar community-based care model.
• Hospice of Michigan: One of the largest nonprofit hospices in the United States, serving more than 50 Michigan counties with hospice, palliative, and grief services. Comparable to BCN in nonprofit structure, breadth of serious-illness services, and community-based care model at meaningful scale.

Broad incumbents

• LHC Group: National home health and hospice operator now operating under Optum following its acquisition. Comparable to BCN in home-based hospice and home health services but as a national for-profit incumbent with substantially larger footprint and post-acute focus.
• Compassus: National hospice, palliative, and home health provider operating in more than 30 states with both for-profit and nonprofit affiliate models. Comparable to BCN in hospice and palliative service portfolio but at meaningfully larger national scale.
• VITAS Healthcare: The largest hospice provider in the United States, operating across more than a dozen states and now part of Chemed Corporation. Comparable to BCN in hospice core service but vastly larger geographic scope, for-profit structure, and more limited palliative/PACE offerings.
• Gentiva: National hospice and home health provider spun out from Kindred at Home and operating across the majority of U.S. states. Comparable to BCN in hospice service offerings but as a for-profit national operator with greater scale and broader payor reach.
• Amedisys Hospice: National hospice and home health provider operating in more than 30 states, now under UnitedHealth Group's Optum. Comparable to BCN in hospice service line but operates as a for-profit national incumbent with much broader geographic coverage.
• Addus HomeCare: National provider of home care, hospice, and personal care services across more than 20 states with a Medicaid-heavy payor mix. Comparable to BCN in home-based hospice and personal-care services targeted to elderly and disabled populations, but operates as a for-profit public company.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bgcarenav

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bluegrass Care Navigators