Bill Introduced to Extend Acute Care at Home Waivers

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 11, 2022)—The Advanced Care at Home Coalition applauds introduction of the Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act, which would extend the Acute Care at Home waivers that have allowed for the expanded delivery of hospital-level care at home for Medicare beneficiaries during the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Sponsored by Sens. Tom Carper (D-Delaware) and Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) and Reps. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) and Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon), the bill would extend the Acute Hospital Care at Home waivers issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which have enabled the expansion of access to safe, hospital-quality, at-home care for patients across the country.
 
The bill extends the waivers for two years beyond the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services would be required to issue regulations establishing health and safety requirements for Acute Hospital Care at Home programs within one year of the bill’s enactment. The bill is supported by more than 100 health organizations, as well as health care associations.
 
Currently 92 health care systems and 202 hospitals in 34 states are approved for the Acute Hospital Care at Home waivers, which were authorized during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The Advanced Care at Home Coalition brings together health care providers and advocates to advance policy and legislation that supports permanent payment and coverage options for these care delivery models.
 
“The benefits of advanced care at home will serve patients well beyond the pandemic,” said Stephen Parodi, M.D., executive vice president of The Permanente Federation at Kaiser Permanente, which has safely provided hospital-level care at home to more than 1,100 patients. “By extending these flexibilities, Congress will create a predictable pathway for medical professionals to fully realize advances in the care delivery system that enable patients to be treated with safe, equitable, person-centered care in the comfort of their own homes.”
 
Advanced-care-at-home models across the country have demonstrated success in preventing hospital-acquired infections, reducing hospital readmissions, and achieving high levels of patient satisfaction.
 
“Our Mayo Clinic Advanced Care at Home patients tell us how much it means for them to recover at home,” said Michael Maniaci, M.D., physician leader for Mayo Clinic’s program. “We are grateful to Senators Carper and Scott as well as Representatives Wenstrup and Blumenauer for their leadership on this critical issue. The Hospital Inpatient Services Act will allow patients to have the continued option to receive acute-level services in their home instead of a hospital.” Since the beginning of its program in 2020, Mayo Clinic has treated more than 1,700 patients in its programs in Arizona, Florida, and Wisconsin.
 
Visit achcoalition.com for more information.