Common examples of conditions or situations that meet the criteria include:

• Pneumonia
• Heart failure
• COPD
• Asthma
• UTI
• Cellulitis (skin infection)

This list is not all inclusive. Every patient’s eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis.

Your doctor will examine your case to determine if you’re eligible. Ideal candidates are recovering from a condition that requires hospital treatment, but not round-the-clock observation. Also, you must:

• Live about 25 miles from the hospital
• Be a Geisinger Health Plan member or have traditional Medicare part A coverage
• Be 18+ years old
• Have a home environment that meets social determinants of health (SDOH) requirements
• Accept patient responsibilities, which may include daily tasks like charging your wearable device or weighing yourself

Yes, if you’re admitted to the hospital or in the emergency room, you may ask your care team to be evaluated for eligibility.

Once you’re approved for the program, you’ll be given instructions and sent home. A team member will meet you at home and set up your equipment, including a tablet for speaking with your provider.

When you leave the hospital, don’t remove your hospital wristband. Our Hospital at Home team will come to your home promptly to set you up.

We provide:

• Daily in-person and virtual visits from your medical team
• A device you wear on your arm that constantly monitors your vital signs
• A tablet with a call bell that connects you directly with your medical team
• Treatments needed for your care
• Oxygen or any other medical equipment needed

If you’re eligible for this program as a Geisinger Health Plan member or have traditional Medicare part A coverage, then this service is covered under your insurance, just like any other inpatient hospital stay.

If you’re offered the option to receive Hospital at Home treatment, the choice is yours. We’ll answer any questions you have to help you decide whether to receive your care at home or in the hospital.

Yes, you can be transferred back into the brick-and-mortar hospital if desired or needed.

No, don’t take off your hospital wristband. When our team comes to see you, they’ll use it to verify your identity for security purposes, so be sure to keep it on the whole time you’re under our care.

If there’s an emergency or your condition worsens, the clinical command center will triage and either alert a nurse or activate emergency medical services (EMS) to send an ambulance and bring you back to a Geisinger hospital, if necessary. However, this rarely happens, as patients who are a good fit for this program generally have low acuity and low risk. 

No. Just as patients admitted in the hospital must not leave during their stay, we require that you stay home while you’re under our care, until you’re discharged from the program.

No, you don’t need to have your own internet service to participate in Hospital at Home care. Our 24-hour remote patient monitoring operates on 5G and is provided to you as part of the program.  

When you’re discharged from the program, it’s just as if you were leaving the hospital. You’ll return to your normal daily life and go to follow-up visits with your PCP and specialists as needed.

If you need help with your tablet or wearable, call 570-607-4870 or 844-611-2232.