DataPoint: Home Health Care Trends

Medicare home health care spending has nearly doubled nationwide from $9.1M in 2001 to $18.1M in 2016, although spending has remained consistent since 2012. Based on The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC), since 2002 the number of home health care users increased 37.5 percent, from 2.5 million to 3.5 million. Over the same time span, the number of home health care episodes increased 59.3 percent and the average payment per episode increased 13 percent.

Since 2001 home health care episodes not proceeded by a hospitalization or post-acute care (PAC) stay increased from 2.1 million to 4.4 million in 2016, representing a 110 percent increase. While home health care episodes that were not proceeded by hospitalization or PAC stay increased dramatically, episodes that were proceeded by hospitalization or PAC stay increased 15 percent.

To view MEDPAC’s complete Health Care Spending and the Medicare Program, June 2018 report, click here.

Contact: Ken Allison, kallison@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8820