House Calls Can Lead to Dramatically Better Health Outcomes Among the Elderly
“Now, a number of hospital groups and small providers are bringing house calls back, with increased support from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the government agency within the Department of Health and Human Services that administers Medicare and Medicaid, and which has begun a push to increase funding for house calls. In 2012, CMS began testing the efficacy of house calls through the Independence at Home demonstration program. The 14 participating house-call programs saved an average of $3,070 per patient, totaling $35 million in savings and reducing Medicare costs by 30 percent, all by reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and improving quality of care and patient satisfaction.”