How Can Hospital-at-Home Grow Outside the Nation’s Biggest Health Systems?

Despite ongoing uncertainty around Hospital at Home (HaH) reimbursement in the U.S., the model continues to expand, but not evenly. Major academic medical centers and large national systems are growing their programs, adding more virtual beds, and partnering with national vendors to deliver care at home. Meanwhile, regional health systems and mid-size hospitals are still evaluating whether the model is financially feasible.

Most HaH programs today are led by top-tier academic institutions and high-capacity systems with the resources to absorb early losses and commit to long-term investment. That model doesn’t work for every hospital. Most hospitals that aren’t major academic centers understand the value of offering care at home, but lack a viable entry point.

Cost is one of the largest b