Industry
Three Health Systems Wind Down Hospital-at-Home Programs in 2026
Cone Health, Health First and Covenant Health have each discontinued or announced plans to end hospital-at-home programs in 2026, despite Congress extending the federal Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver through September 2030. Cone Health cited reimbursement uncertainty and operational sustainability in its October 14 announcement to wind down its program by year-end. Health First ended its program alongside broader workforce cuts of 214 positions and a service-line closure announced September 16. Covenant Health quietly discontinued its program in April 2026 without publicly stating a reason, according to its website.
Why it mattersHealth plans and state Medicaid agencies evaluating hospital-at-home as a cost-saving alternative to inpatient care should note that reimbursement instability, not clinical performance, is driving provider exits even as federal waiver authority remains available through 2030.