U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) proposed a bicameral, bipartisan bill that would extend existing waiver flexibilities to allow for acute hospital care at home.
Sen. Scott on March 10 introduced the Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act, S. 3792, with bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) and fellow cosponsor U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), while Rep. Wenstrup on March 9 sponsored the identical H.R. 7053 in his chamber alongside cosponsor U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR).
“The Acute Hospital Care at Home program has revolutionized health care for many Americans by improving care while decreasing health risks associated with hospital stays,” Sen. Scott said. “I’m proud to extend this program that will ease pressure on our healthcare system and allow thousands of vulnerable Americans to continue receiving quality care from the safety of their own home.”
In November 2020 when hospitals around the nation were overloaded with patients due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched the Acute Hospital Care At Home waiver program to allow Medicare beneficiaries to receive acute-level health care services within their home. The waiver is set to expire at the end of the federal COVID-19 public health emergency, according to information provided by the lawmakers.
If enacted, the bill specifically would extend the CMS waiver flexibilities to continue to allow hospital-level care at home, helping to reduce costs and enhance patient experiences, according to the information.
“The COVID-19 pandemic exposed deficiencies in our current healthcare system, and forced us to develop new, innovative solutions to deliver care for patients,” said Rep. Wenstrup, co-chairman of the GOP Doctors Caucus and a physician. “Everyone has different treatment needs and plans, and we must make sure that people have continued access to these options as Congress reviews how to make the initial flexibilities from the pandemic more permanent in an appropriate manner.”
Additionally, the bill would require that CMS issue regulations within one year of the bill’s enactment establishing health and safety requirements for Hospital at Home Programs, and would require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to submit a report to Congress on the efficacy of the waiver program along with legislative recommendations.
The measure has garnered broad support from the medical industry, including from the Advanced Care at Home Coalition, INTEGRIS Health, Texas Health Resources, the Medical University of South Carolina, the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the Johns Hopkins Health System, Duke Health, the Mount Sinai Health System, Kaiser Permanente, and many others.