Hospital-at-home programs improve outcomes and save costs

Congress should extend a waiver that expanded flexibilities for hospital-at-home programs, according to program proponents. Constantinos Michaelidis, MD, medical director of hospital-at-home for UMass Memorial Health in Worcester, said the health system has reduced 30-day readmissions by up to 75% for Medicare and Medicaid patients. Other supporters said at-home care permits clinicians to better observe the social determinants of health. Advocates believe that continued reimbursement is necessary to scale up these programs. During the pandemic, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services permitted temporary waivers enabling Medicare enrollees to receive acute hospital-level care from their homes. (Fierce Healthcare article, 6/10/22)