I was visiting a friend in the hospital just the other day and her roommate ran into this. The Admitting person came to her room to get her to sign some forms and explained that she was admitted as “under observation” (they were treating her for possible pneumonia), and that Medicare wasn’t going to pay unless they changed it to ‘inpatient’.
After the admitting person left I told her to make herself appear as sick as possible to include hacking away (fake if need be) anytime a nurse/doc walked into the room.
Ridiculous they have to go through this.
According to everything I’ve found online, the same care can be given to a patient being “observed” as one admitted as an inpatient; same pharmaceuticals, tests etc. I looked and looked to find how they make the “observation” designation and I’m still looking. I don’t believe there are any qualifications for it - it’s totally arbitrary according to the dictates of the hospitals who are under pressure from Medicare.
There’s a post on the thread from an MD that is very interesting. I’m grateful she posted.
I don’t care what HHS claims and or corrupt the courts are to find in favor of HHS in the one or few cases that have been filed, the problem lies with HHS and Medicare which automatically means our BELOVED FEDERAL BUREAUCRACY!
Can you believe that MORE attention is given to this to pretend to curb costs than to the illegals soaking up the benefits never having paid a dime in taxes? Everything says they are dogged in running the cases down as to “observed” vs “inpatient”; sometimes taking years for audits to collar the CULPRITS - the big criminals...
I don’t get it. I count each day a good one when we haven’t been thrown a curve like this but those days are getting fewer and fewer.