Over the last few years, Pritikin has tirelessly advocated for federal legislation which would establish permanent reimbursement for at-home cardiac rehabilitation. The future of virtual cardiac rehabilitation has seemed uncertain, but that may soon change: two bipartisan bills recently introduced in the House and Senate have renewed our optimism in the future of virtual cardiac rehab. These bills would greatly expand access to cardiac rehabilitation, allowing patients to receive at-home cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation services under Medicare.
Ever since pandemic-era telehealth waivers originally expanded Medicare coverage for at-home cardiac rehab back in 2020, Pritikin ICR facilities using our virtual cardiac rehab solutions experienced great success. Not only are more patients able to access this life-saving care, but this innovative delivery model is easy for care teams to manage. Our early foray home-based cardiac rehab highlighted just how important this delivery model could be in extending the healthspan of patients. What's more, the experiences of our providers and their patients confirm what past and emerging research has concluded: home-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) improves clinical outcomes and is as safe and effective as facility-based CR and ICR (Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation).
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, and cardiac rehab offers a proven solution for those who have suffered a cardiac event or undergone a cardiac procedure. Unfortunately, despite decades of research demonstrating that cardiac rehab participation reduces the risk of hospital readmissions and death, it is significantly underutilized during the recovery process. Patients cite a range of barriers, as Pritikin ICR President Terry Rogers explains: "Only 19 to 34% of eligible patients participate in cardiac rehab, often due to distance to the nearest cardiac rehab facility, lack of transportation, transportation costs, and the availability of these services in rural and underserved parts of the country."
A growing body of research supports the expansion of home-based cardiac rehabilitation.
As recently as January 2025, a study from the Journal of American College of Cardiology compared 12-week home-based and center-based CR programs, focusing on outcomes like cardiorespiratory fitness, quality of life, and physical performance. Both home-based and center-based approaches were equally effective in improving these critical metrics. Importantly, the home-based program achieved comparable results with fewer supervised sessions (4 vs. 24) and greater flexibility for participants. Patients in the home-based CR group showed high adherence rates (84%) and were more likely to integrate walking into their daily routines than those in the center-based group.
Another study from the Journal of the American Heart Association, published in October 2023, concluded that participation in home-based cardiac rehabilitation after a heart attack or cardiac procedure “was associated with a 36% lower likelihood of death from heart-related complications among U.S. military veterans within four years compared to those who opted out of rehabilitation programs.” Earlier that same year, the Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention published "Availability and Use of In-Person and Virtual Cardiac Rehabilitation Among US Medicare Beneficiaries: A Post-Pandemic Update", which highlighted the persistent decline in CR participation since the COVID-19 pandemic, explained in part by a reduction in the number of CR centers. While new models of CR delivery require policies to ensure continued insurance coverage, home-based CR offers a viable solution.
While this critical legislation has been top-of-mind for years, work to advance coverage for at-home cardiac rehab really took off in late 2022. Since then, Pritikin ICR has been at the forefront of advocacy efforts. Much of our energy has been devoted to highlighting the current state of CR and raising awareness of the viability of home-based programs as a means to save lives.
Pritikin ICR President Terry Rogers participated in a December 2022 panel discussion with other experts in the field to discuss The State of Cardiac Rehab and make the case for legislation protecting access to virtual cardiac rehab. A few months later, Rogers traveled to Washington, D.C. alongside the Director of Arkansas Heart Hospital’s Pritikin ICR program, Amanda Xaysuda. There, they met with Congressional leaders to garner support for forthcoming legislation aimed at solidifying Medicare coverage for virtual CR, ICR, and pulmonary rehab services.
In March 2023, Senior Implementation Manager Tara Steadman and Business Development Region Manager Kathryn Seigel participated in AACVPR’s Day on the Hill, the very same day that the 118th Congress introduced the first version of this bill (H.R. 1406). In the spring of 2024, three more Pritikin employees – Account Managers Chris Wyatt and Eric Jones, along with Business Development Region Manager Jason Bole – attended AACVPR's Day on the Hill to ask their respective Representatives to support the bill.
Armed with new House and Senate bill numbers, our team will soon redouble these advocacy efforts during our third consecutive pilgrimage to the Capitol: in March, Pritikin ICR President Terry Rogers, Business Development Region Manager Jason Bole, Director of Virtual Growth Barbra Fagan, and Account Manager Shilpa Vemuri will travel to D.C. and push for legislative change. Concurrently, our virtual team is focused on designing an intuitive, feature-rich platform and providing a team of technical experts, empowering our providers to deliver the best at-home experience to their patients. Together, we can help ensure that all eligible patients have access to critically important healthcare services – for many years to come!
The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has made it easy to contact your representatives urging them to support this vital legislation. Simply visit their website, answer the prompted questions and send your message.