STATEMENT ON THE INTRODUCTION OF THE HOSPITAL INPATIENT SERVICES MODERNIZATION ACT
Legislation by Senators Carper and Scott and Representatives Wenstrup and Blumenauer creates the path to retain patient access to acute care at home
WASHINGTON, March 10, 2022 – Moving Health Home (MHH) is pleased to support the introduction of the bipartisan Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act in both chambers of Congress. We applaud Senators Tom Carper (D-DE) and Tim Scott (R-SC) and Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) for their leadership in drafting this crucial legislation to ensure continued access to the Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCAH) waiver following the end of the public health emergency (PHE).
“We call on Congress to pass the Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act before the expiration of the PHE,” said Krista Drobac, Founder of Moving Health Home. “Many seniors needing acute-level care, and their caregivers, have been able to receive services at home during the pandemic. Temporarily extending the AHCAH program will allow for additional data collection and inform lessons learned, as well as provide the necessary time for a legislative process to establish a permanent Acute Care at Home program for Medicare patients.”
The Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act will establish a two-year extension of the AHCAH waiver triggered by the end of the PHE. The legislation will also require the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct an evaluation of the program and issue regulation establishing health and safety requirements.
While the AHCAH waiver has expanded access to home-based care, the uncertainty on when the waiver will end creates barriers to entry for new participants; health systems and providers have concerns with making significant investments in home-based care models if the program may abruptly end.
According to a recent study, a bipartisan majority of adults (73 percent of Democrats and 61 percent of Republicans) say it should be a priority for the federal government to increase access to care in the home. By extending the waiver for an additional two years, the innovative home-based care delivery models will be able to continue expanding and enhancing their programs and meeting patients’ needs in ways that will never be possible in an institutional setting.
The bill text can be found here, fact sheet can be found here, and stakeholder support letter with over 110 signatures here.
For more information, please visit us at movinghealthhome.org
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