US health insurance craziness pt 23,592

[firecat]

Hospital patient status: observation vs. inpatient

http://magazine.angieslist.com/hospitals/articles/patients-paying-more--under-observation-.aspx

If you're on Medicare, nursing home costs following a hospital stay are covered if you are "admitted" to the hospital, but are not covered if you are in the hospital for "observation."

The first comment on the article, by one Edwin Bradley MD, states "In general the care one receives in 'observation' is not as good as in the fully staffed hospital bed." I wonder if that is true generally.

Comments

[aquaeri]

When I was travelling in the US back in 1990, my (Aussie) travel friend was in an accident and had some insane problems getting travel insurance to cover her treatment because the policy was written on the assumption that outcare would only apply to minor incidents, whereas the hospital she attended daily for about a week had chosen not to admit her in order to significantly reduce the total bill. (I don't believe her particular treatments were of lesser quality because she was an outpatient.)

This sounds like a similiar sort of dissonance.

[firecat]

Argh!

[graymalkin13.livejournal.com]

I haven't read the article, but I can tell you this:

15 years ago, I spent 3 days in the hospital for "observation." On the psych ward, yes. I got exactly zero care other than one visit with my shrink, meals and a bed. And I had to ask for keys to the shower just like the "regular" patients. But they all had group therapy, art therapy, individual sessions with their doctors, and so on.

However, I don't think Medicare should discriminate among types of hospital admission when covering any kind of care. It's ridiculous.

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

I purposely had a one-night observation when I got my vocal cords operated on. It was cheaper for me, Kaiser, and Medicare.

[prairierabbit.livejournal.com]

We had to fight the desire of hospitals and Medicare to admit for "observation" on multiple occasions with my father because of the not eligible for Medicare covered rehab without a three-day non-observation stay. They also do not count or report certain things that occur during observation the same way they would be required to if a patient is admitted under care. Ultimate irony: in the CCU, and told it was observation. Um, no. Really, just no.

[firecat]

in the CCU, and told it was observation.

OH HAI, here we are observing all the gases and liquids going in and out of this person's body by means of tubes. But we're ONLY OBSERVING!

(I hope you don't mind my being a little silly about what sounds like a horrible experience.)

Linketies (with a lot of online resources for nature-identification)

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