The House Ways and Means Committee on Sept. 17 marked up and unanimously passed the AAMC-supported Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act (H.R. 4313/S. 2237) [refer to Washington Highlights, July 25]. The bill, introduced in July by Health Subcommittee Chair Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) and Reps. Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.), and Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), with companion legislation from Sens. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), would extend the Acute Hospital Care at Home program for five years, through 2030.
Originally created under a waiver in 2020, the program allows hospitals to treat eligible patients safely at home, reducing complications such as hospital-acquired infections while supporting recovery. The AAMC has supported the program since its inception and has continued to urge Congress to extend the program before it expires on Sept. 30.