Following the extension of the Medicare Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCAH) waiver through September 2030, health systems and hospitals are hustling to establish and scale up in-home acute care programs, according to Modern Healthcare.
Since the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) provided waivers and flexibilities to facilitate at-home care during the COVID-19 pandemic, hospital-at-home programs have become increasingly popular. As of February 2026, 366 hospitals across 139 health systems in 37 states had received approval to provide hospital services in patients’ residences, according to CMS.
Why There’s No Place Like Home for Hospital Services
It’s easy to see the appeal of providing acute care in patients’ homes instead of traditional clinical settings where appropriate: Research supports that the delivery model can improve access as well as quality, in addition to cutting costs. Medicare beneficiaries who received care under the AHCAH initiative generally had a lower 30-day mortality rate compared to individuals who received inpatient care in traditional hospital settings, according to a 2024 CMS report. Additionally, hospital-at-home patients accounted for significantly lower Medicare spending on average in the 30 days following discharge.
Some health care providers have already demonstrated success in this area, leveraging hospital at home initiatives as significant drivers of care delivery transformation.
4 Notable Hospital-at-Home Programs
For those wondering how to effectively establish and scale a hospital-at-home program, these hospitals and health systems have already paved the way and can serve as examples for other providers seeking to improve quality of care and conserve resources.
Note: This is not an exhaustive list of notable hospital-at-home programs.
Mass General Brigham
Mass General Brigham (MGB) in Boston believes it is important to provide home-based care options when it is clinically appropriate. Subsequently, the health system has established one of the most extensive at-home acute care programs in the U.S., reaching more than 80% of the eligible patients in its serviceable area.
MGB sees the hospital at home program as a sustainable solution to capacity issues, and the provider’s initiative offers a wide array of clinical and ancillary services, such as 24/7 vitals monitoring, point-of-care testing and in-home x-rays and ultrasounds.
Patients admitted to MGB’s home hospital program report higher levels of satisfaction and better outcomes: A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found the system’s hospital-at-home patients had a 7% readmission rate within 30 days after discharge, compared with 23% for those who received traditional facility-based care.
UChicago Medicine
UChicago Medicine (UCM) created its hospital-at-home program as part of its commitment to patient-centric care, according to a 2024 article published by the health system. The UChicago Center for Healthcare Delivery Science and Innovation collaborated with Kim Erwin, an associate professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Institute of Design, to ensure a human-first approach. The design team also sought feedback from more than 80 patients, community members, educators, direct care providers and nurse administrators.
Additionally, the design team utilized UCM’s Simulation Center to test the service blueprint and ensure the best possible patient experience. The resulting program involves two daily in-person visits by a nurse, a daily telehealth check-in with a physician, specialty consults as needed, and a daily call from a nurse navigator. Other elements of UCM’s hospital-at-home services include daily meals if the patient desires and the provision of medical equipment, medications, imaging, lab tests and ongoing support for 30 days post-discharge.
The program frees up space in brick-and-mortar hospitals, and patients receiving care at home typically experience improved sleep quality, in addition to avoiding hospital-acquired infections, UCM Chief Medical Information Officer Cheng-Kai Kao, M.D., told the AHA in a 2024 interview.
Advocate Health
Charlotte, North Carolina-based Advocate Health launched its hospital at home program in just 10 days. Originally implemented to address the inpatient capacity crisis created by the pandemic, Advocate’s home hospital initiative has expanded to serve multiple metropolitan areas.
The provider utilizes a hybrid model including in-home visits from paramedics or nurses in addition to virtual check-ins, remote monitoring, specialty consults, lab services and pharmacy support. Overall, patients receive seamless, comprehensive inpatient care with integrated support without needing to leave the comfort of their own homes.
This approach has led to higher patient satisfaction scores than traditional inpatient treatment and improved care: In 2024, Advocate hospital at home patients had about 7% fewer readmissions than expected, compared with 9% more readmissions than expected among patients treated in traditional hospital settings.
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Since launching as a pilot in January 2023, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s hospital at home initiative in Columbus utilizes a hybrid insource/outsource model and delivers care to a high volume of patients who reside in disadvantaged areas.
Wexner Medical Center’s at-home hospital services include in-person as well as virtual care, remote patient monitoring, care navigation, lab services, physical and occupational therapy, pharmacy, durable medical equipment, patient identification and consent, and third-party services.
Patients enrolled in the program have markedly lower 30-day readmission rates (9.2% in fiscal year 2025 through December 2024) compared to patients treated in a traditional inpatient setting (16%). Additionally, as of fiscal year 2025, the home hospital care model has resulted in high patient satisfaction rates, with 95% rating it 9 or 10 in terms of whether they would recommend the service to others.
The extension of the Medicare AHCAH waivers means that it’s prime time for health care providers to invest in hospital at home programs, whether that means launching new initiatives or expanding current ones. For example, MGB intends to pilot in-home behavioral health and dementia care, according to Modern Healthcare. Tech companies also have plans to introduce new solutions to support at-home care delivery.
Caroline Yang, M.D., associate clinical director of MGB Healthcare at Home, told Healthcare IT News that she’s excited for the next five years: “I’m confident that we can continue to demonstrate the value of home hospital and the value it brings to the system, providers and patients. We can use that data — the outcomes, effectiveness, safety and quality — to advocate for permanent policy.”
