Washington's Home Health Gap: Turning Underutilization into Opportunity

When it comes to keeping patients healthy at home, Washington’s Home Health providers play a critical role in access. Statewide data reveal a sizable gap between actual and expected Home Health access based on patient case mix.

Across Washington State, Home Health admissions average just 48.6 per 1,000 Medicare FFS beneficiaries, far below the national average of 81 per 1,000. This means thousands of Washington seniors and medically complex patients miss the opportunity to recover safely at home with skilled nursing, therapy, and coordinated care.

This underutilization starts upstream at the hospital discharge level. Nearly every hospital in Washington discharges Medicare FFS patients to Home Health at a rate well below the national average of 19.4%. As a result, patients who could benefit from home-based recovery instead experience longer-than-expected hospital stays—driving up potentially preventable hospital costs by about $9.6M for Medicare FFS patients.

Once Washington Medicare patients do access Home Health, outcomes improve dramatically. Medicare beneficiaries in Washington who receive Home Health services experience lower-than-expected hospital readmission rates—a clear indicator of the value Home Health brings to the care continuum.

For Washington State providers, these findings present both a challenge and an opportunity. Increasing access to Home Health can reduce unnecessary hospital utilization, improve patient outcomes, and lower total cost of care. Achieving this requires collaboration across acute, post-acute, and community-based partners. 

To learn more about key trends in your community of service, contact Berg Data Solutions at: sarah@bergdatasolutions.com or marc@bergdatasolutions.com.