Advocacy Correspondence: PA Congressional Delegation, Acute Hospital Care at Home Program Extension

December 1, 2025

Dear members of the Pennsylvania congressional delegation:

On behalf of the approximately 235 member hospitals of The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP), I urge you to vote in favor of the Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act (H.R. 4313).

During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) federal waiver program allowed Medicare beneficiaries to receive acute-level health care services in their home, where they can be more comfortable and supported by their friends and family. Building on that waiver, the Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCAH) program was established. Under the program, CMS-approved hospitals deliver hospital-level care at home to Medicare and Medicaid fee-for-service beneficiaries. The program brings acute hospital-level care to a patient’s home by providing all critical elements including physicians, nurses, and other clinical team members; diagnostics; therapeutics; and appropriate technology.

Across the commonwealth, 17 hospitals are approved to operate the program. Their programs have resulted in improved patient outcomes, including lower rates of infections and complications and improved patient satisfaction. Further, these programs significantly reduce the cost of care and allow hospitals to free up resources and beds for patients waiting to be admitted.

Currently, the AHCAH program is set to expire on January 30, 2026. The Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act would extend the AHCAH program through September 30, 2030, and require CMS to submit a study on the program to Congress by September 30, 2028. The study would analyze the hospital-at-home programs’ patient selection criteria, quality of care, costs, and other data points. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill would affect federal spending by less than $500,000, and not change federal revenue.

If you have any questions, please contact John Myers, HAP’s vice president, federal advocacy, at (202) 421-6740.

Sincerely,

 

Nicole Stallings
President & Chief Executive Officer

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Topics: Federal Advocacy, Medicare

Revision Date: 12/1/2025

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