Congress has extended the Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver for five additional years through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026, allowing hospitals to continue providing inpatient-level care to eligible Medicare patients in their homes.
The program, originally launched by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services during the COVID-19 public health emergency, allows approved hospitals to treat certain patients at home while maintaining hospital-level monitoring and physician oversight.
More than 370 hospitals nationwide currently participate in the program, including facilities in Alabama. The extension provides stability for health systems using this care model and ensures continued access for patients who can safely receive treatment outside the hospital setting.
Research has shown that hospital-at-home programs can lead to lower mortality rates, fewer hospital-acquired conditions, and lower post-discharge costs, while also helping hospitals manage capacity challenges by freeing up inpatient beds.
Hospitals and healthcare organizations can review CMS resources and participating facilities through the Acute Hospital Care at Home program materials on the CMS website.
Resource: Acute Hospital Care at Home Resources