Press Coverage January 15, 2026

Hospital at Home Programs Face Uncertainty as Another Deadline Looms

Cal Stein, a partner in Troutman Pepper’s Health Care + Life Sciences Practice Group, was quoted in the January 15, 2026 Healthcare Dive article, “Hospital at Home Programs Face Uncertainty as Another Deadline Looms.”

During the government shutdown last fall, when waivers expired, hospitals were forced to “discharge” patients from their homes back to inpatient facilities, according to Cal Stein, partner at law firm Troutman Pepper Locke. Some health systems paused or pared back their programs, contributing to capacity strain at some facilities, according to reporting by Politico.

…

For example, hospitals have to ensure they have enough beds available at brick-and-mortar facilities for incoming patients, as well as the staff available to care for them, Stein said.

Medical complications can also arise when patients are transferred between facilities. That could create legal risk for hospitals that might face allegations that transfers weren’t handled correctly, or there weren’t enough staff at inpatient facilities to handle the influx of patients, Stein added.

Patients might struggle to access care too, particularly if they don’t live nearby an inpatient facility where they could be easily moved, he said. Some might also not want to transfer to a hospital and instead stay in their homes.

“They could stay, but the reimbursement from Medicare wouldn’t be there,” Stein said. “So the facilities and the patients are really put in between a rock and a hard place by the expiration of that program.”

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