Congressman Vern Buchanan, Chair of the Health Subcommittee on Ways and Means, has announced growing support for his bipartisan effort to extend the Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCaH) waiver. More than 140 health care organizations, including hospitals, health systems, provider groups, and patient advocates, have sent a letter to congressional leaders urging a five-year extension of the program.
“Momentum is building for my bipartisan effort to extend the Hospital at Home program, which allows efficient, high-quality care at lower costs, especially for the nearly 200,000 seniors in my district. My Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act will enable over 200 hospitals across 34 states, including 23 in Florida, to continue this program. With over 140 organizations supporting this extension, Congress must act now to ensure hospitals can expand access to this vital care model,” Buchanan said.
The Hospital Inpatient Services Modernization Act is co-led by Reps. Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.) and Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), and would extend the AHCaH waiver through 2030.
A recent report from CMS indicates that treating patients at home can speed up recovery times and reduce risks associated with hospital stays. Without legislative action, the current waiver authority is set to expire in September.
Organizations backing the extension include national groups such as the American Hospital Association and AARP as well as local providers like Tampa General Hospital and Lakeland Regional Health.
Buchanan represents Florida’s 16th district in Congress and has served since replacing Katherine Harris in 2007. He previously served in the Florida House of Representatives and lives in Sarasota. Buchanan was born in Detroit in 1951 and graduated from Cleary University and later from the University of Detroit Mercy.
He has also introduced several other health-related bills recently. The FORCE-FIT Act (H.R. 3750) proposes a pilot program for servicemembers to access Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems within the Department of Defense. His Chronic Disease Flexible Coverage Act (H.R. 919), expanding treatment options for Americans with chronic diseases through employer healthcare coverage, passed unanimously in March 2025. In February he introduced two preventive health bills: one removing geographic limits on telehealth services (Permanent Telehealth from Home Act) and another aimed at improving lung cancer screening access (Lung Cancer Screening and Prevention Act).
