Veterans Health Administration Home Telehealth Program Cuts Inpatient Admissions by 20%

Veterans enrolled in a pilot home telehealth monitoring program had 19.7% fewer inpatient admissions compared to their admissions during the year before starting the program. For those who were admitted to a hospital, their inpatient days fell by 25.3%. The program costs for the home telehealth monitoring program cost an average of $1,600 per patient each year, compared with annual per-patient costs of $13,121 for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) home-based primary care service and $77,745 for VHA’s nursing home care. The average $1,600 annual, per-patient cost includes care coordinator . . .