At a Ways and Means hearing on the benefits of health care at home, Medicare patients who receive at-home care shared their stories of how both their health and quality of life have improved. Under the currently temporary Hospital at Home and telehealth flexibilities granted by Congress, millions of patients are now benefitting from the convenience of getting health care in their home. Because rural, remote, and underserved areas largely lack adequate health care services, Americans living in these communities can greatly benefit from expanded health care at home.
The witnesses who provide at-home, virtual care testified to the difference it has made for their patients – fewer emergency room and inpatient visits, and improved vital signs, to name a few. For diseases and illnesses where at-home care is possible, witnesses drew the connection between quality in-person and at-home care: in-person care is vital to setting the right treatments that patients can safely administer at home.
