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Congress just saved hospital care at home for 5 more years 🏠
On December 1, the House passed the Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act, extending Medicare’s Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver through 2030.
This was set to expire January 30, 2026.
Here’s what makes this massive:
Over 300 hospitals across 37 states have been delivering acute-level care in patients’ homes since the pandemic. Real hospital care. Real monitoring. Real results.
The data is compelling:
30% reduction in hospital-acquired infections
38% lower readmission rates
20% cost savings per episode
96% patient satisfaction scores
But here’s the kicker:
This program almost died because Congress couldn’t decide if home-based acute care was “real” hospital care. Meanwhile, patients were getting IV antibiotics, continuous monitoring, and daily physician visits in their living rooms.
The AHA, AMA, and AAMC all backed this extension. Why? Because it works.
Patients recover faster at home. Families are more engaged. Hospital beds open up for those who truly need them.
Yet Medicare reimbursement still treats this like an experiment, not a proven care model.
The new law requires HHS to study outcomes and compare home vs. hospital metrics. We already know the answer, but bureaucracy needs its paperwork.
This isn’t just about convenience. It’s about reimagining where healthcare happens.
For rural communities with 2-hour drives to the nearest hospital, this is a lifeline. For elderly patients who decline rapidly in unfamiliar hospital settings, this is dignity. For health systems drowning in capacity issues, this is relief.
The 5-year extension gives us time to make this permanent. But why did we need to fight so hard for something that clearly works?
Because healthcare policy moves at the speed of committees, not patients.
♻️ Repost if hospital-at-home should be permanent, not temporary
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Author:
Jonathan Govette is a seasoned healthcare and technology executive with more than two decades of experience building, scaling, and advising digital health companies. He is the Co-Founder and CEO of Oatmeal Health, an AI-driven Lung Cancer Screening and Diagnostics company focused on expanding access to early detection for underrepresented populations, particularly patients served by Federally Qualified Health Centers and value-based health plans.
With a background in engineering, product development, and strategic partnerships, Jonathan has founded and led multiple health technology ventures across clinical care delivery, regulated medical software, and AI-enabled diagnostics. His work sits at the intersection of medicine, technology, and health equity, with a consistent focus on translating complex clinical problems into scalable, real-world solutions.
Jonathan has spent much of his professional life dedicated to improving outcomes for marginalized and underserved communities. He has designed and implemented frameworks that align clinical quality, reimbursement, and technology to sustainably advance health equity at scale. This mission is deeply personal and informs his leadership philosophy and long-term vision for healthcare transformation.
In addition to his operating experience, Jonathan is an author and long-time writer in the healthcare domain, with over 20 years of published work covering digital health, medical innovation, and healthcare systems. He is a frequent mentor to early-stage founders and regularly advises startups on product strategy, partnerships, and go-to-market execution in regulated healthcare environments.
Before entering industry full-time, Jonathan nearly pursued a career in medicine with an early path toward cardiothoracic surgery, an experience that continues to shape his clinical perspective and respect for frontline care delivery.
CEO | Oatmeal Health | AI Lung Cancer Startup | Engineer | Writer | Almost Became a Doctor (Cardiac Thoracic Surgeon) | 3x Health Tech Founder | Startup Mentor | Follow to share what I’ve learned along the way.
