Hospital-at-Home Funding Extended

Summary

The House passed a bill extending the Hospital-at-Home program until September 30, 2025. This program allows hospitals to provide acute care in patients’ homes, reducing hospital stays and improving patient outcomes. The bill awaits Senate approval and signifies a potential shift in geriatric care towards home-based treatment.

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** Main Story**

So, the House just extended funding for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) “Hospital-at-Home” (H@H) program until September 30, 2025. And honestly, it’s about time! It’s a move that really shows people are starting to see the potential of H@H to change how we care for older adults, providing a safe and actually pretty great alternative to regular hospital stays. Now, the bill needs to get through the Senate. Fingers crossed!

Home-Based Acute Care: A Real Game Changer

The H@H program, also called the Acute Hospital Care at Home program, first popped up in November 2020 as a temporary solution during the COVID-19 pandemic. Basically, it lets hospitals give hospital-level care to patients in their homes; they are waiving the rule that they always need 24/7 on-site nursing care. Importantly, hospitals get paid the same for H@H patients as they do for patients in the hospital. This payment parity is huge because it shows we’re recognizing that the care is equal, no matter where it’s delivered. I think it’s great, don’t you?

Extending the funding? It’s a pretty clear sign we’re headed toward making H@H a permanent part of healthcare. We saw extensions in 2022 and 2024, too. This shows how more and more people accept the program, and it has bipartisan support. Plus, the Congressional Budget Office says it won’t cost extra money which makes it much easier to justify long-term.

More Than Just Empty Beds

By November 2024, you know, 378 hospitals in 39 states were using the H@H model. That’s pretty impressive, right? For example, Mass General Brigham in Boston has been all-in on H@H since 2017. They’ve treated over 5,800 patients, which freed up a ton of hospital beds. They’ve found it works really well for stuff like pneumonia and heart failure. They do remote monitoring and home visits from healthcare pros.

But it’s not just about making things easier for hospitals. Studies have actually found that patients do better with this model. They have lower death rates and spend less money after they’re discharged. Plus, patients and their families usually like H@H more because of the comfort and personal attention they get at home. Who wouldn’t want that?

Pushing for Permanence

Now, it’s not all sunshine and roses. The H@H program has some hurdles to overcome. Some experts believe the current waiver system isn’t good at adjusting payments. This might leave hospitals underpaid in certain cases. Also, the rules about who can join the program are strict. Which means that not everyone can take advantage of it.

To really make H@H work, people are saying we need a permanent payment program that’s specifically for home-based acute care. That would solve the money problems and let more patients in the program. And really, it should be available to more people.

The Future of Elder Care: Right at Home

The House extending H@H funding? It’s a big deal for how we approach geriatric care. As more people get older and need healthcare, H@H looks like a good way to provide excellent, patient-focused care at home. It’s got some problems, sure, but it’s building momentum and there’s growing evidence it works. It’s probably going to become super important in healthcare, especially for seniors.

Other Innovations in Geriatric Care

Beyond H@H, we’re seeing some other cool stuff happening in geriatric care:

• Telemedicine: Talking to specialists remotely is a huge help, especially for folks in rural areas or those who have trouble getting around.
• Wearable Tech: Smartwatches and fitness trackers can give us real-time health data. This can help catch problems early and encourage people to take care of themselves.
• Smart Home Tech: Smart lighting, voice assistants, and security systems can make life safer and easier for older adults at home. I once helped my grandmother set up a smart speaker, and it was amazing how much it improved her day-to-day life.
• Robotics and AI: Robots that help with daily tasks and AI platforms that personalize care plans? It’s all coming. It’s impressive stuff.

All these advances show that we’re moving toward care that’s centered on the patient. It’s about giving them more control, comfort, and well-being. The House’s support for H@H fits right into this trend. It’s a sign that more and more care will be coming to the home, and I think that’s a great thing.