S. 2237: Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act

This bill, formally named the Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act, aims to make changes related to acute hospital care provided at home. Here’s a breakdown of the key elements of the legislation:

Extension of Waiver Flexibilities

The bill proposes to extend the existing flexibilities that allow hospitals to provide acute care services in patients' homes. Specifically, it amends the Social Security Act to change the deadline for these flexibilities from the year 2025 to 2030. This would continue to enable hospitals to utilize this method of care delivery for a longer period.

Study Requirements

The bill mandates an additional study and report on the acute hospital care provided at home. The specifics include:

• Study Timing: The Secretary of Health and Human Services must conduct this study by September 30, 2028.
• Areas of Analysis: The study must analyze a variety of factors including:
• The criteria hospitals use to determine which patients can receive care at home.
• Quality of care comparisons between home care and traditional inpatient settings in terms of health outcomes, readmission rates, lengths of stay, and other clinical metrics.
• Cost comparisons for hospitals providing care at home versus care in a hospital setting, considering staffing, equipment, meals, medications, and other services.
• Service intensity and patient experiences in home care versus inpatient settings.
• Demographic and socioeconomic data of individuals receiving care, including their racial and ethnic backgrounds, income, and geography.
• Differences in outcomes and metrics based on how patients access home care, either from the emergency department or from an existing inpatient stay.

Report Submission

Once the study is conducted, the Secretary of Health and Human Services is required to submit a report detailing the findings to both the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Committee on Finance by the deadline of September 30, 2028.

Overall Purpose

The purpose of this bill is to ensure that the practice of providing acute hospital care in home settings is evaluated and understood, improving care delivery and meeting the health needs of patients in a potentially more efficient manner.

Relevant Companies

None found.