Hundreds of hospitals across 39 states have adopted hospital-at-home programs, allowing paramdics to provide care to patients in their homes.
The program has helped alleviate overcrowding in emergency departments. However, the federal waiver that allows Medicare and Medicaid to reimburse this care is set to expire at the end of this month, NPR reports, threatening to overwhelm hospitals once again.
According to NPR, Congress is currently debating a five-year extension as part of the year-end spending bill.
The waiver, introduced during the pandemic, has already been extended once. Advocates argue it has been instrumental in reducing hospital overcrowding, lowering mortality rates, and improving patient satisfaction.
Critics, including National Nurses United, have raised safety concerns about treating patients outside of traditional hospital settings.
