AJMC® in the Press, April 17, 2026

“Bundled Payment Impacts Uptake of Prescribed Home Health Care,” published in the February 2025 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care, evaluated how the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) bundled payment model influenced whether patients actually received prescribed home health care after surgery. The researchers found that, although national home health uptake was declining, hospitals participating in the CJR model saw a 3.73 percentage point lower decrease in uptake compared with control hospitals. This positive effect was primarily driven by increases among Black and White patient populations, suggesting that bundled payment incentives can successfully improve care coordination and adherence to discharge plans. However, the study, which was referenced in a recent article by McKnights Home Care, also highlighted persistent disparities, as no significant improvements were observed for Hispanic or Asian American/Pacific Islander patients, indicating that financial incentives alone may not overcome all barriers to care.