Under Observation – A Costly Concern for FL Seniors
Hospitals' Use of "Observation Status" Doubles over Decade
Posted November 18, 2013 05:30 am
TALLAHASS EE, FL - The number of hospital patients being listed as "under observation" is rising dramatically, a trend that's catching many senior citizens off guard, and leaving them with hefty medical bills.
According
to Mary Jo George with AARP, for coverage of some
services, Medicare requires a patient to be formally
admitted to the hospital, and being there under
"observation" status doesn't count.
"If you do not have a three-day hospital stay, what happens is, the Medicare coverage will not cover your skilled nursing care," as she described the situation that can result. "And so, it is pushed onto the senior, who has to often pay large out-of-pocket costs."
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In Brief
A new report from AARP shows that the use of the
observation status by hospitals more than doubled
between 2001 and 2009, as did the length of time spent
in observation, with visits longer than 48 hours
increasing the most.
George explained that the growing use of "observation
status" also raises questions about the quality of care,
but she noted that
federal
legislation has been introduced to remedy the
problem.
"One of the bills in Congress is a bipartisan bill," she
said. "It would look to say that the observation
services would count toward that three-day hospital
stay, so therefore seniors would not have to pay the big
out-of-pocket costs if they do need skilled nursing
care."
In the meantime, George urges seniors to make sure
they're asking questions about their admission status
when hospitalized. Patients can also contact their
primary care doctor or the hospital doctor treating and
ask to be admitted for inpatient treatment.
Photos/graphics and links added by the Observer