Heal Reduces Hospitalizations and Medicare Costs as Part of CMS' Independence at Home Demonstration

Leader of in-home primary care for seniors lowers Medicare costs for chronically ill patients by 20%

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Heal, the pioneer of in-home care delivery, today announced that as part of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) Independence at Home (IAH) demonstration, the company* generated $8.6 million in Medicare savings and improved health outcomes for chronically ill patients in 2020.

The most recent results of the IAH demonstration show that Heal's in-home primary care services led to fewer hospital readmissions within 30 days of the initial in-patient stay, and fewer hospital admissions and emergency department visits for potentially avoidable medical problems related to conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, pneumonia or urinary tract infections.

Heal's approach saved Medicare approximately $10,000 in healthcare costs per patient in 2020, 20% less than Medicare's expected expenditures. By meeting these performance goals and generating Medicare savings, Heal received $2.58 million in incentive payments from CMS. Additionally, Heal received $1.66 million in incentive payments for its 2019 results, bringing the total to $4.24 million for the two years the company participated in the IAH demonstration.

"These results provide further evidence of the important role of in-home primary care in improving health outcomes and keeping the sickest and most vulnerable patients out of hospitals and emergency rooms - the major drivers of health care costs," said Justin Zaghi, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Heal. "When clinicians treat seniors in a home setting they spend more time with them, assess living situations and address potential risks, and eliminate transportation and accessibility issues that can prevent patients from receiving regular medical care."

The IAH demonstration began in 2012 to test whether home-based primary care can reduce the need for hospitalization, improve patient and caregiver satisfaction, and lead to better health for beneficiaries at lower cost. Patients included in the demonstration have multiple chronic conditions and functional limitations, and their care is assessed based on several quality measures. Primary care practices meeting performance standards while generating Medicare savings are eligible to receive a share of those savings as incentive payments.

"The outcomes and savings Heal achieved as part of the IAH demonstration are testament to the benefits our care delivery model offers both patients and payers," said Scott Vertrees, Chief Executive Officer of Heal. "Given these results, it's no wonder that the number of Medicare members choosing Heal as their primary care provider has grown over 400% since 2021, and we fully expect that momentum to continue in the coming year."

* Comprehensive Geriatric Medicine P.C. d/b/a Doctors on Call (recently renamed Comprehensive House Call Medicine) is Heal's affiliated medical practice participating in the IAH Demonstration.

Heal was founded on the principal idea that improving health outcomes starts by meeting patients where they're most comfortable: at home. That's why we provide technology-enabled, value-based in-home primary care to seniors on Medicare and select Medicare Advantage plans. Heal's service model allows board-certified doctors and nurse practitioners to spend more time with their patients, so care is never rushed, and a strong patient-provider relationship is established. With over 270,000 patient visits to date, Heal offers primary care through house calls, telemedicine visits, and remote monitoring in Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Washington, with plans to continue its national expansion. For more information, please visit www.heal.com or call (844) 644-4325. Follow Heal on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. 

SOURCE Heal