By Lauran Neergaard; The Associated Press ~ Jun 18, 2015

WASHINGTON (AP) — The humble house call is being put to the test to see if it can improve care and cut costs for some of Medicare’s frailest patients – and new data suggests it can work.

Medicare announced Thursday that it saved more than $25 million in the first year of a three-year study to determine the value of home-based primary care for frail seniors with multiple chronic illnesses, by avoiding pricier hospital or emergency room care.