Stakeholder Letter Urges Congress to Extend Hospital at Home Program

WASHINGTON—Moving Health Home (MHH), a coalition for stakeholders that aims to support federal and state homecare policies, led a letter signed by nearly 100 stakeholders—including WellSky, AARP, the Home Care Association of America—which urged congressional leaders to include a five-year extension for hospital at home waivers in the March government funding package.

In the letter, stakeholders said the Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCAH) waiver program, which was recently extended until March, would allow the program to “truly take root and further demonstrate advancements in patient care” if extended to a five-year program.

“Americans want home to be the center of their health,” the letter reads. “Federal flexibilities, such as the AHCAH waiver, allowed hospitals to do just that. Another extension of the waiver effectively builds the bridge from demonstration to a more permanent model by giving more certainty to those hospitals currently on the sidelines waiting for regulatory clarity.

“Hospital at home is strongly supported by the evidence, the patients, caregivers and providers involved in the program. A long-term extension in March would solidify the evidence base and allow more seniors to experience care at home.” 

The full letter, including the full list of stakeholders, is accessible here.