Hospital-at-Home Leaders Defend Safety as One System Exits
Becker's Hospital Review reports that hospital-at-home program leaders at Tampa General, Care New England's Kent Hospital and Highmark Health say remote-monitoring protocols, EMS coordination and strict patient screening make the model as safe as or safer than inpatient care, citing low infection and mortality rates. Nurses and some executives remain skeptical that hospitals can replicate inpatient-level rescue capability in a patient's home. Congress extended the CMS Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver through 2030, giving the model regulatory runway, but Greensboro, NC-based Cone Health announced October 14 it will wind down its program in the fourth quarter due to reimbursement changes, operational complexity and sustainability concerns despite strong safety outcomes. Programs differ widely on acuity thresholds, monitoring technology and proximity requirements, with Highmark currently excluding patients who need continuous monitoring.