Lessons from CMS’ Acute Hospital Care at Home Initiative

The COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) challenged hospital bed capacity severely limiting access to critical medical services in patients’ time of need. In response, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) collaborated with outside experts to develop what ultimately became the Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCAH) initiative, which is set to expire on December 31, 2024, unless Congress takes action to extend it. After three years of implementation experience, early lessons on quality, cost, and care experiences have begun to inform the future of CMS’ program and related efforts in the field.