Bill Looks to Extend Hospital-At-Home Waiver for 5 Years

WASHINGTON—Congressman Vern Buchanan, chair of the Health Subcommittee on Ways and Means, announced he introduced the Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act. This bipartisan legislation would enable hospitals to extend “Hospital at Home” programs for an additional five years. 

Buchanan introduced the legislation alongside Reps. Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.) and Dwight Evans (D-Pa.). Senators Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

In November 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) established the Acute Hospital Care at Home Waiver to provide hospitals with increased flexibility to care for certain patients from the comfort and convenience of their homes, rather than in a hospital setting. According to the American Hospital Association (AHA), this model has been proven to “reduce costs, improve outcomes and enhance the patient experience.”

“Our nation is getting sicker and sicker, but programs like ‘Hospital at Home’ allow us to treat patients more efficiently while delivering high-quality care at a lower cost,” said Buchanan. “Home health services are especially crucial for the nearly 200,000 seniors in my district. The Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act would ensure that more than 200 hospitals across 34 states, including 23 in Florida, can continue participating in this program and provide quality care to those in need. We must ensure this life-changing model remains available for years to come.”

A recent report from CMS shows that allowing patients to be treated in a more familiar environment and routine accelerates recovery time, lowers the mortality rate and reduces the risk of hospital-acquired infections and falls. This legislation would extend the current hospital-at-home waiver program through 2030, allowing hospitals to continue participating and providing quality care to patients.

Buchanan’s bill would also require the Department of Health and Human Services and CMS to conduct a comprehensive study comparing home-based care and inpatient care across several key criteria, including care quality, rates of infection, hospital readmission and levels of satisfaction among patients and their caregivers. Based on the findings of this evaluation, CMS would then be directed to issue formal health and safety regulations to govern the program moving forward.

“The American health care system must evolve to meet the needs of the patients in the 21st century,” said 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 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 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 legislation is supported by the American Hospital Association.

“America’s hospitals and health systems see hospital-at-home programs as a safe and innovative way to care for patients in the comfort of their homes,” said Lisa Kidder Hrobsky, senior vice president for advocacy and political affairs, AHA. “This legislation will provide additional time to continue gathering data and will also provide much needed stability for new and existing programs. The AHA thanks Reps. Buchanan and Evans for their strong leadership and dedication to extend the hospital-at-home model for five years.”