Novant Health Saves 1,595 Inpatient Bed Days with Hospital at Home

Why It Matters

The program demonstrates that acute care can be safely shifted to patients’ homes, freeing hospital capacity and reducing infection risk, while highlighting the critical need for stable reimbursement to sustain such cost‑saving models.

Key Takeaways

• Novant Health admitted 482 patients to its hospital-at-home program.
• Program delivered 5,378 virtual visits, achieving high patient satisfaction.
• Saved over 1,595 inpatient bed days, freeing hospital capacity.
• Recorded zero healthcare‑acquired infections among home‑based patients.
• CMS waiver expires 2030; stable reimbursement needed for program continuity.

Pulse Analysis

The hospital‑at‑home model has moved from experimental pilots to a mainstream solution for acute care, allowing clinicians to deliver hospital‑level services in a patient’s residence. By leveraging telemedicine, remote monitoring, and in‑home nursing, providers can reduce length of stay, lower operational costs, and improve patient comfort. Studies show comparable clinical outcomes to traditional inpatient care, while also mitigating risks such as hospital‑acquired infections. As value‑based reimbursement gains traction, payers are scrutinizing models that can deliver quality care at lower total cost.

Novant Health’s nine‑month rollout illustrates the model’s scalability. Since launching in 2024, the system has cared for 482 patients, completing more than 5,300 virtual visits and freeing 1,595 bed days across its 19 hospitals. The program’s zero infection rate underscores the safety advantage of delivering care at home. High patient satisfaction scores suggest that convenience does not compromise perceived quality. These metrics provide a compelling business case for insurers, showing that hospital‑at‑home can preserve capacity for higher‑acuity cases while controlling expenses.

Despite the clinical promise, the program’s future hinges on reimbursement policy. The current CMS waiver, which authorizes acute home care, expires in 2030, and private payer coverage remains inconsistent. Industry advocates argue that making the waiver permanent and expanding private reimbursement would unlock broader adoption, especially for health systems facing bed shortages. If policymakers act, hospital‑at‑home could become a permanent pillar of acute care, driving new revenue streams for providers and offering patients a preferred alternative to conventional hospitalization.