Research has shown hospital-at-home programs decrease hospital-acquired infections, falls, delirium, and immobility while providing cost savings
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Tim Scott (R-SC) introduced the Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act, legislation that would expand hospitals’ at-home-care programs by extending the Acute Hospital at Home Waiver program. This bill would build on the successful Hospital at Home program, which currently allows thousands of Americans to safely receive hospital-level care in their homes through a Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) waiver. By bringing more certainty to the program, hospitals are more likely to invest and expand the program.
“This legislation is about protecting access to quality health care, lowering costs for patients, and improving the health and well-being of our family and neighbors,” said Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock. “I will always work to lower costs and increase health care access for Georgians, and I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan effort.”
“The American healthcare system must evolve to meet the needs of the patients in the 21st century,” said Senator Scott. “Hospital-at-home care provides better outcomes for patients while reducing costs. This legislation ensures that successful programs like this can continue to serve families across South Carolina and the nation.”
This legislation addresses the unsustainable costs of the current healthcare system by leveraging technology and alternative care models. Under the current program, CMS requires an in-person physician evaluation and screening protocols to assess medical and non-medical factors before at-home care can begin. Research has shown hospital-at-home programs decrease hospital-acquired infections, falls, delirium, and immobility while providing cost savings.
The waiver programs launched in November of 2020 to help decompress hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 117th Congress, Congress passed the Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act, legislation that extended the Hospital at Home waiver program two years beyond the duration of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. The March Continuing Resolution extended Hospital-at-Home until the end of this fiscal year. Now, more than 37 states have Hospital-at-Home programs. The program is set to expire on September 30th, 2025.
In addition to Senators Warnock and Scott, this bill was cosponsored by U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Tina Smith (D-MN), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).
Read the text of the bill HERE.
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