Chemed Corporation

What Chemed Corporation does

Chemed Corporation (NYSE: CHE) is a Cincinnati, Ohio-based public holding company incorporated in Delaware in 1970 and operating independently since 1982. The company runs two wholly owned subsidiaries on a decentralized basis with minimal integrated functions: VITAS Healthcare Corporation, one of the largest U.S. providers of end-of-life hospice and palliative care, operating 59 hospice programs across 15 states and the District of Columbia; and Roto-Rooter Services Company, the leading U.S. provider of plumbing, drain cleaning, excavation, and water restoration services, operating 120 company-owned branches and 345 franchisees that collectively serve more than 90% of the U.S. population and approximately 30% of the Canadian population. In 2025, VITAS cared for over 92,000 patients totaling approximately 8.2 million days of care.

Chemed has no proprietary technology platform; the operating model is fundamentally service-based. VITAS revenue is driven by patient census, admissions volume, and Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement rates and accounts for approximately 68% of consolidated revenue. Roto-Rooter revenue is transaction-based, earned at point-of-service from residential and commercial customers, and accounts for approximately 32% of consolidated revenue. Roto-Rooter supplements its U.S. footprint with licensed master franchises in Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines. Across both segments, Chemed's go-to-market relies on healthcare referral networks (for VITAS) and brand-driven local marketing, paid search, and franchise/branch coverage (for Roto-Rooter).

Chemed has executed a disciplined capital allocation strategy over a long public-company history, with 220 consecutive quarterly dividends spanning 55 years as a listed entity. Recent strategic activity has emphasized share repurchases (a $300M authorization in February 2026, with 500,000 shares repurchased for $197.7M in Q1 2026), hospice-segment tuck-in M&A (Covenant Health hospice assets, April 2024, $85M), and franchise-to-company-owned conversions in Roto-Rooter (San Francisco/Fort Worth for $20.6M in March 2026 and south Texas for $12M in June 2026). Institutional investors hold approximately 95.85% of shares outstanding.

Name

Chemed Corporation

Legal name

Chemed Corporation

Website

https://chemed.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Chemed Corporation (NYSE: CHE) is a Cincinnati-based holding company operating two wholly owned subsidiaries: VITAS Healthcare, one of the largest U.S. hospice and palliative care providers (59 programs in 15 states plus DC), and Roto-Rooter, the leading U.S. plumbing and drain cleaning franchise and branch network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospice and Home Services

NAICS

Home Health Care Services (621610), Home Health Care Services (62161), Ambulatory Health Care Services (621)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Home Hospice Agencies (HLAFAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

In-Home Hospice Nursing Visits (RN/LPN) (HSABAFAL), Continuous Home Care (Crisis Hospice) (HSABAFAB), Inpatient Hospice / General Inpatient Care (GIP) at Home-Managed (HSABAFAC), Respite Hospice Care (Short-Term Relief) (HSABAFAD)

Keywords

• Hospice care services
• Plumbing services
• Drain cleaning services
• Water damage restoration
• Palliative care

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. VITAS Hospice Services: VITAS generates revenue primarily through Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement for hospice and palliative care services provided to patients. Revenue is driven by patient days of care, admissions volume, and Medicare reimbursement rates. Approximately 68% of consolidated revenue comes from VITAS.
2. Roto-Rooter Plumbing Services: Roto-Rooter generates revenue from plumbing repair, drain cleaning, water restoration, and excavation services provided to residential and commercial customers. Revenue is transaction-based, earned at time of service delivery.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Chemed Corporation operates two wholly owned subsidiaries providing distinct services. VITAS Healthcare delivers hospice and palliative care to terminally ill patients through 59 programs across 15 states and the District of Columbia, employing approximately 11,700 clinicians and caring for over 92,000 patients in 2025. Roto-Rooter provides plumbing, drain cleaning, excavation, and water restoration services to residential and commercial customers through 120 company-owned branches, 345 franchisees, and independent contractors across the U.S. and Canada.

Product overview

Chemed Corporation operates a dual-segment business model comprising two distinct wholly-owned subsidiaries: VITAS Healthcare and Roto-Rooter. VITAS Healthcare is one of the nation's largest hospice and palliative care providers, offering end-of-life care services through a network of physicians, registered nurses, home health aides, social workers, clergy, and volunteers across 59 programs in 15 states and DC. Roto-Rooter is the nation's leading provider of plumbing, drain cleaning, excavation, and water cleanup services, operating 120 company-owned branches and 345 franchisees serving over 90% of the U.S. population and approximately 30% of the Canadian population. The two segments contribute approximately 68% (VITAS) and 32% (Roto-Rooter) of consolidated revenue respectively, providing diversified cash flows from defensive healthcare services and essential home services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VITAS Healthcare Hospice and Palliative Care Services End-of-life hospice and palliative care services for terminally ill patients (primarily elderly Medicare beneficiaries) provided across 59 programs in 15 states and the District of Columbia by approximately 11,700 professionals including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, home health aides, physicians, social workers, and clergy. Care is delivered primarily in patients' homes as well as in inpatient hospice units in hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living/residential care facilities.
• Roto-Rooter Plumbing, Drain Cleaning, Water Restoration and Excavation Services Plumbing repair, drain cleaning, water damage restoration, and excavation services (including trenchless sewer repair) provided to residential homeowners, commercial businesses, and municipalities. Services are delivered through 120 company-owned branches, 345 franchisees, and independent contractors covering more than 90% of the U.S. population and approximately 30% of the Canadian population, with master franchisees in Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines.

Quantifiable outcome

• VITAS admissions increased 6.9% year-over-year in Q1 2026 to 19,394
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Amedisys: Amedisys is a publicly traded home health and hospice operator with national scale, making it the most directly comparable peer to VITAS on hospice service delivery, Medicare reimbursement exposure, and clinical staffing model.
• Addus HomeCare: Addus provides personal care, home health, and hospice services to Medicaid and Medicare populations. Its hospice segment and personal-care-driven model overlap directly with VITAS's clinical home-based care delivery.
• Encompass Health: Encompass Health operates inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and (prior to the Enhabit spin) provided home health and hospice services. Its hospice and home health segment offers a comparable regulatory and reimbursement profile to VITAS.
• Mr. Rooter (Neighborly): Mr. Rooter is a leading plumbing franchise brand owned by Neighborly. As a direct competitor in residential and commercial plumbing services, it competes head-to-head with Roto-Rooter's franchise system across overlapping U.S. markets.
• Gentiva: Gentiva is a national hospice and palliative care provider recently separated from Kindred at Home. Its service model, geography, and clinical staffing approach closely mirror VITAS's hospice operations.
• BrightSpring Health Services: BrightSpring provides home and community-based health services including hospice, home health, and pharmacy solutions. Its hospice operations are highly comparable to VITAS's clinical service delivery and patient population.
• Enhabit: Enhabit is a pure-play home health and hospice provider spun off from Encompass Health in 2022. It is one of the cleanest direct comparables to VITAS in terms of Medicare-driven hospice economics and clinical labor exposure.
• The Pennant Group: Pennant operates home health, hospice, and senior living services across the U.S., with a decentralized operating model similar in spirit to Chemed's two-subsidiary structure. Its hospice segment is directly comparable to VITAS.

Broad incumbents

• Humana (CenterWell): Humana owns CenterWell, which operates the largest U.S. hospice platform following its Kindred at Home acquisition. While Humana is a much larger managed care incumbent, its hospice segment competes directly with VITAS for referrals and clinical talent.
• ServiceMaster Brands (now Neighborly): ServiceMaster Brands, part of Neighborly, is a large franchisor of home services including plumbing (Mr. Rooter, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing). It is a broad incumbent peer to Roto-Rooter's franchise-based residential services business.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chemed-corporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Chemed Corporation