Why health systems should consider hospital care at home programs

The hospital care at home model has exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to 2020, only a handful of health systems had a program dedicated to providing acute care in the home setting. Now, there are more than 150 providers with a hospital care at home program.

The model has been appealing for providers as they deal with continued capacity and staffing constraints in the acute care environment due to COVID-19 surges. Powered by technological innovations in telehealth and remote monitoring, it offers an alternative to transition patients at low risk of deterioration, freeing up beds for the sickest patients in the hospital. CMS’s announcement of reimbursement parity waivers also accelerated adoption — providing at least temporary...