Act Introduced to Expand Acute Hospital-At-Home Program by Rubio, Carper

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Tom Carper (D-DE) introduced the At Home Observation and Medical Evaluation (HOME) Services Act to establish a hospital-at-home pilot program that would test expanding the acute hospital-at-home program to include observation status patients.

The hospital-at-home program has been essential in helping hospitals free up beds and staff for patients in need of greater care. However, the current hospital-at-home program only covers acute patients, not observation-status patients.

“Addressing our healthcare challenges requires innovative solutions,” Rubio said. “The At HOME Services Act builds on the success of the hospital-at-home program to lower costs and burdens and improve patient outcomes and satisfaction.”

“The pandemic taught us that meeting patients where they’re at is possible and often preferred,” Carper said. “That’s why I worked to increase and expand access to hospital-level care from the comfort of home. These services have seen tremendous success for people across the country, including in Delaware, and the At HOME Services Act would build on these programs to continue reducing costs and improving patient outcomes.”

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is an original cosponsor of this legislation.