Carper, Scott introduce legislation to extend hospital-at-home for five years

Sens. Tom Carper (D-Delaware) and Tim Scott (R.C.) introduced legislation Wednesday that would extend the Home Acute Hospital Care (AHCAH) Waiver Program beyond its 2024 expiration date. It is expected to be.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) introduced several waivers and flexibilities in 2020 to allow various inpatient-level hospital services to be performed in patients’ homes. I did it like that.

The AHCAH program was originally scheduled to end with the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, but was extended through December 31, 2024 under the Consolidated Appropriations Act passed last year.

Carper and Scott’s bill would extend the flexibility provided by AHCAH for an additional five years.

“Since Hospital at Home was introduced just a few years ago, we have seen the program drive positive patient outcomes and reduce costs nationally,” Carper said in a statement. mentioned in.

“I recently had the opportunity to celebrate Delaware’s own ChristianaCare accepting its 1,000th patient through this program,” he continued. “Today, I am pleased to join Senator Scott in introducing legislation to extend the hospital-at-home program for five years and ensure that hospitals across the country can continue to see seniors where they are.”

Carper joined Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) earlier this year. introduce another bill This, also under the AHCAH program, would include patients on observation status, meaning patients whose doctors are still deciding whether they need inpatient treatment or can be discharged.

A close aide to Mr. Carper said. politiko It was recently revealed that senators plan to introduce a bill that would make the home hospital exemption permanent.

CMS study A study from November that looked at patients admitted under the AHCAH waiver from November 2021 to March 2023 found that they had “low mortality rates consistent with the home hospital literature and a higher rate of escalation to brick-and-mortar hospitals.” It was found that associated complications were minimal. ”