Who is affected and how:

• Medicare beneficiaries: May experience increased access to acute-level care delivered at home instead of inpatient admission, which could affect comfort, convenience, exposure to hospital-acquired conditions, and satisfaction. Outcomes and costs could improve or worsen depending on the study findings.

• Hospitals and health systems: Hospitals operating or considering Hospital at Home programs would benefit from continued waiver flexibilities, enabling them to treat eligible patients at home rather than using inpatient beds. This can change capacity management, staffing models, and capital use. Hospitals will need processes for clinical oversight, remote monitoring, and coordination with home-based providers.

• Home health agencies and community-based providers: Could see expanded roles and responsibilities delivering higher-acuity services, requiring training, supervision, and potentially more staffing or technology investment.

• Payers (Medicare and potentially private insurers): The study’s cost comparisons could influence future coverage and payment policies. If home care proves cost-saving with equal or better outcomes, payers may adopt permanent payment pathways; if not, flexibilities could be rolled back.

• HHS/CMS and Congress: HHS must conduct and deliver the mandated study and report by Sept 30, 2028. Congress will receive comparative evidence to decide whether to continue, alter, or end the waiver flexibilities.

• Patients’ families and caregivers: May face different caregiving demands when care shifts to the home; caregiver burden and support needs could increase or change.

Overall effect: The bill preserves or extends policy flexibility for Hospital at Home while creating a statutory evidence-gathering requirement to inform longer-term Medicare policy. The net impact will depend on the amendment’s specific text (not provided) and the results of the mandated study.