Is this the same as going home with help?

No. CMS describes it as inpatient care in the home. Going home with IHSS or private help is a different setting after, or instead of, an inpatient stay.

How long does the CMS initiative last?

CMS says the initiative was extended by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026. For hospitals with active waivers, inpatients must be discharged or returned to the hospital on September 30, 2030, unless Congress extends it. CMS will not accept new waiver requests after September 1, 2030. Confirm those dates on the CMS page.

Does Medi-Cal automatically pay it?

CMS tells hospitals seeking Medicaid reimbursement to contact the state Medicaid agency. Ask DHCS and the hospital. Do not assume.

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What is Hospital at Home (CMS Acute Hospital Care at Home)?

Updated September 16, 2026. Reviewed September 16, 2026 against public CDSS, DHCS, Medicare.gov, VA, and CareScout 2025 California tables. County wages, hours, and wait times still change. Official .gov pages decide.

CMS describes Acute Hospital Care at Home as inpatient hospital care delivered in the home for hospitals that hold a waiver. It is not IHSS, home health, or family caregiving.

Based on public CDSS, DHCS, Medicare.gov, VA, and California Department of Insurance pages retrieved 2026-09-16. County, Medi-Cal, Medicare, VA, and insurer staff decide what actually pays. Hourly rates, hour totals, waiver slots, and wait times are local and change.

Short answer

Hospital at Home, in the CMS public program, is Acute Hospital Care at Home: inpatient-level hospital care delivered in the home for hospitals that hold an individual CMS waiver. It is still a hospital admission. It is not skilled home health, not IHSS, and not a family caregiver plan. Ask the hospital whether they participate and what that means for this stay.

Who decides

CMS grants hospital waivers. The hospital decides whether this admission uses the program. Medicare, Medi-Cal, and the county decide their own benefits after, or instead of, that stay.

What to do next

Ask the case manager whether this hospital has an Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver. Then use the leaving-the-hospital guide for what happens after an inpatient stay.

What CMS publishes

The Acute Hospital Care at Home page says this is an individual hospital waiver, not a blanket waiver. Each hospital certified to care for Medicare patients has a unique CMS Certification Number. Each hospital that wants to participate submits its own request.

Utilities still matter

Hospital at Home and ordinary home care both fail without heat, water, electricity, and a working phone. The home-readiness checklist is the house version of that question.

Questions people ask

Is this the same as going home with help?: No. CMS describes it as inpatient care in the home. Going home with IHSS or private help is a different setting after, or instead of, an inpatient stay.
How long does the CMS initiative last?: CMS says the initiative was extended by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026. For hospitals with active waivers, inpatients must be discharged or returned to the hospital on September 30, 2030, unless Congress extends it. CMS will not accept new waiver requests after September 1, 2030. Confirm those dates on the CMS page.
Does Medi-Cal automatically pay it?: CMS tells hospitals seeking Medicaid reimbursement to contact the state Medicaid agency. Ask DHCS and the hospital. Do not assume.

Official sources for this page

Official program pages: CDSS: In-Home Supportive Services, CDSS: IHSS for children, County IHSS offices, CDSS: IHSS providers, CDSS: county IHSS wage rates, CDSS: provider orientation, CDSS: Electronic Visit Verification, CDSS: Electronic Services Portal, DHCS: Medi-Cal, Apply for Medi-Cal, BenefitsCal, CDSS: hearing requests, CDSS: forms catalog, CDSS: IHSS overtime and workweek, DDS: regional centers.