Chemed Corporation
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.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersCincinnati, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
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.
Chemed Corporation firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Chemed Corporation industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Chemed Corporation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cincinnati
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Chemed Corporation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- 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.
- 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
Chemed Corporation product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Chemed Corporation
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Chemed Corporation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Chemed Corporation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators9 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Chemed Corporation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
Chemed Corporation social profiles
Digital presenceChemed Corporation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chemed Corporation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Chemed Corporation subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Chemed Corporation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Chemed Corporation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Chemed Corporation
What does Chemed Corporation do?
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.
Is Chemed Corporation a public or private company?
Chemed Corporation is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was Chemed Corporation founded?
Chemed Corporation was founded in 1970. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Chemed Corporation based?
Chemed Corporation is headquartered in Cincinnati, United States, in the North America region.
How does Chemed Corporation make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. VITAS Hospice Services are the primary driver. The others are roto-Rooter Plumbing Services.
Who are Chemed Corporation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Amedisys, Addus HomeCare, Encompass Health, Mr. Rooter (Neighborly), Gentiva, BrightSpring Health Services, Enhabit and The Pennant Group. Broad incumbents are Humana (CenterWell) and ServiceMaster Brands (now Neighborly).
Does Chemed Corporation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Chemed Corporation.
What industry is Chemed Corporation in?
Chemed Corporation's product category is Hospice and Home Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAFAEAC, Home Hospice Agencies, with a secondary code of HSABAFAL, In-Home Hospice Nursing Visits (RN/LPN). Its NAICS code is 621610 and its SIC code is 8082.