Hospital-at-home: Engage with lawmakers

Q. What legislative barriers do hospital-at-home programs face – and how can HME providers play a role in overcoming those?

A. Traditional Medicare is the primary payer for hospital-at-home through the Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCaH) waiver. This waiver was drafted with urgency early in the COVID-19 pandemic when in-person visits were extremely limited. Fast forward to now, hospital-at-home programs have expanded and evolved. As such, some rules may need to be revisited or adjusted based on today’s hospital-at-home needs.

Of note, the waiver is slated to expire this year. Health systems and hospitals alike have been advocating for a five-year extension, which would help establish more hospital-at-home programs and allow the industry to gather essential data proving the long-term value of these programs. Legislative language to extend the program has advanced through both the Ways and Means Committee and the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee in the U.S. House of Representatives, but final passage must occur before the end of 2024.

I’d encourage HME providers to use their voices to support the waiver’s extension. Those of us who are living and breathing hospital-at-home see first-hand that it is both good for our health system and patient outcomes. We’re making incredible progress on developing this into a health model that’s here to stay – we can’t stop now.

Home-based care has been a safe and convenient option for patients for decades – and this must remain true as more complex care moves to the home. More robust care support and infrastructure, like what’s provided by the country’s HME providers, gives payers and other stakeholders the confidence that we can safely move more high-acuity care to the home. Tell your legislators and regulators that this industry is ready, willing and able to support the delivery of high-quality care in the home and that patient safety is always the top priority.

Alex Hoopes is senior director, Strategy and Execution – Cardinal Health Velocare.