Hospital-based home care has come in various forms since the 1970s, but the concept gained traction during the COVID-19 pandemic as inpatient beds became scarce in hospitals. health facilities due to the spread of the virus. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services launched the Acute Care Home Waiver in 2020, allowing providers to treat certain patients at home for the same reimbursement as patients in hospital.
Congress has extended the waiver program through the end of December 2024 and is collecting data from participating hospitals on cost savings and patient outcomes. The results could help determine the future of the plan and how hospitals will be reimbursed by Medicare IN The next years.
Home hospital plans are offered at 281 hospitals across 37 states. Texas, North Carolina and Ohio have the largest number of shows, according to the Chilmark report, released Thursday.
The report shows that the growth of home hospitals will be mainly driven by companies that provide turnkey services and those that provide a la carte services such as medical staff, patient monitoring. telemedicine, medical testing and care management. Iakoveva said larger hospital systems may contract with providers to supplement their services while smaller hospitals may need to partner with comprehensive companies.
Companies that have provided the full range of services include Medically Home and Bioufourmis, both based in Boston, as well as Contessa Health based in Nashville, Tennessee, a division of Amedisys. Those companies provide a one-stop procurement service for hospital home service providers. They coordinate personnel, command centers, and many other services provided by multiple a la carte providers.
Many companies are providing turnkey solutions. Inbound Health is the latest example. Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Allina Health launched Inbound as a Home Hospital Care program in 2020 and spun the unit off as a separate company last year with $20 million in funding from Flare Capital Partners and McKesson Ventures. Although Allina Health is currently the company’s sole partner, Inbound Health CEO Dave Kerwar said the company plans to partner with other providers later this year.
Large retailers, such as Best Buy and Amazon, can also play an important role. Best Buy owns home care platform Current Health and partnered with Atrium Health in March. The partnership will provide home hospital services and possibly other services to patients. Amazon purchased membership-based primary care provider One Medical in February. Iakoveva said those retailers could add additional services to drive growth at the home hospital.
Despite the concept’s promise, the report pointed to potential barriers to growth. Poor internet connectivity in rural communities is one.
Chargeback uncertainty is another matter. However, Kerwar said he expects CMS to continue to reimburse home hospitals beyond 2024. Even if it reduces reimbursement rates, Kerwar said providers can still make money because of the programs. program that allows them to treat heavier, more expensive patients in one facility. while providing lower-cost care to others at home.
