At HOME Services Act

HR 7742, the At HOME Services Act, creates a 2-year Medicare demonstration program allowing hospitals to provide outpatient observation services to beneficiaries in their homes. It grants hospitals temporary exemptions from certain hospital requirements (like 24-hour on-site nursing and physical space standards) and expands telehealth access to home settings. Hospitals must maintain inpatient-level care standards, collect data on care quality and costs, and submit to a study comparing home-based care outcomes to traditional hospital care. The program will analyze factors like health outcomes, costs, patient experience, and demographic data before a final report is published.