Healthcare is Moving to the Home. Are Health Plans Ready?

The future of healthcare means more home-based care. By taking steps now to embrace this shift, health plans will set the pace for supporting patients in the place where they most want to receive care. The home is re-emerging as the preferred place for patient care. Accelerated by the pandemic, a growing number of patients view the home as a more comfortable, safe, and convenient environment in which to receive post-acute and long-term care. But patients aren’t the only ones who recognize this value. Confronted by continually rising healthcare costs, health plans are embracing opportunities to introduce new models for managing cost and improving quality. Home-based care offers a high-quality, cost-effective alternative, improving patient outcomes at a lower-cost site of care while reducing hospital readmissions. Nearly all major health plans are encouraging patients and providers alike to consider more use of care in the home.