Doctors making house calls used to be the normal practice not too long ago. A global pandemic and an increasing demand for a greater level of care for complex, high-needs patients might be the push to bring the model back in 2022.
At home primary care has proven to not only deliver better medical care to homebound patients but also reduce the total cost of care for them. By visiting medically vulnerable patients in their homes, primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and even behavioral health care professionals have the potential to save the healthcare system billions of dollars each year.
The prevalence of chronic diseases, a rapidly aging population, advancements in remote monitoring technologies, and a movement toward cost-effective treatment options from both private and public payers have all contributed to the growth of home-based primary care.
In a survey of physicians who mostly serve Medicare and Medicare patients, it is estimated that up to $265 billion worth of care services for these plans’ beneficiaries could move to the “house call” model by 2025. This could improve patient satisfaction and experience, all the while creating value for the patient, care providers and health plans.
Due to an aging population, the next five years are expected to see an increased interest in home care and better access to Medicaid and Medicare under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). As baby boomers begin to require more house calls and support from community services where they live, health plans are also bound to support the shift to home care. After all, this way of delivering care can be much more affordable than nursing homes, inpatient hospital care, and unnecessary visits to the emergency departments.
A doctor visiting patients in the comfort of their own homes is becoming more and more common due to an increased number of in home health care providers, such as Emcara Health. In addition to clinical care, our physician-led multidisciplinary care teams provide behavioral health and the support to uncover and address the social determinants of health (SDOH) that impact health outcomes to deliver whole-patient care. We utilize a combination of in-person care, telehealth, remote monitoring, and community-based services to support patients needing long-term primary care in the home.
The global events of the last few years are not the only factors causing shifts in health care. We all know that our healthcare system has become bloated and too expensive to maintain. Many health plans are already adopting the at-home medical visit models to reduce costs, and we at Emcara Health have more than years of a successful track record in helping them do so. For more information, give us a call at 615-721-7020 or engage.@emcarahealth.com
