[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 23 (Monday, February 2, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S440]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HOSPITAL AT HOME PROGRAM

  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, last week, the Senate passed legislation to 
fund the Department of Health and Human Services and other Agencies, 
including a section reflecting bipartisan, bicameral negotiations on 
healthcare policies in the jurisdiction of the Finance Committee. This 
bill takes important steps forward on healthcare priorities like taking 
on pharmaceutical middlemen, also known as pharmacy benefit managers, 
and achieving mental health parity by going after insurance companies 
that mislead seniors in Medicare Advantage with lists of doctors that 
aren't actually available. Americans have deep concerns about the state 
of their healthcare, and these reforms represent a down payment on the 
effort to ensure our system benefits families over giant corporations.
  This package also includes a 5-year extension of the Hospital at Home 
Program, an innovative initiative championed by my friend and former 
colleague Senator Thomas R. Carper. I want to take a moment to 
recognize Senator Carper's leadership to advance the Hospital at Home 
Program. This special initiative allows hospitals to treat patients in 
their homes, rather than in-patient facilities. The program lets 
patients receive healthcare services where they want, supports family 
caregivers, and increases hospitals' capacity.
  Through the Hospital at Home Program, hospitals are able to provide 
acute care to patients in their own living rooms through a combination 
of telehealth and in-person care along with home-delivered meals, 
nutrition, and medication. Hospitals are able to set patients up with 
equipment so they are continuously monitored from the comfort of their 
own homes.
  Senator Carper knows the value of providing Federal support for 
solutions that help more Americans receive healthcare in the setting 
they prefer: their own homes. So far, 381 hospitals across 37 States 
are approved to participate in the Hospital at Home Program, and a 
long-term extension of the program will give more hospitals the 
certainty they need to take advantage of this opportunity to help 
patients receive healthcare in their homes. It will also help 
researchers evaluate whether the program is lowering out-of-pocket 
healthcare costs, improving outcomes for patients, and expanding access 
to services offered by rural and urban safety net hospitals. This data 
will be invaluable as Congress contemplates the future of the program.
  Senator Carper championed Hospital at Home up until his last days 
serving the Senate because he knew of the value it delivered to his 
constituents and its potential to serve Americans across the country, 
especially in rural and underserved communities. In recognition of his 
leadership, the Congressional Record should reflect that this extension 
would not have been possible without the leadership, vision, and 
persistence of Senator Carper.

                          ____________________