| A reader of mine sent the following, and I thought it important enough to pass the information along to you:
Dear Mr. Davidow,
First, I’d like to say that I’ve been enjoying your Listen to Lawrence Letters for many years now and hope you continue writing them.
Secondly, I’d like to make a comment about one of your recent newsletters which dealt with the three-day hospital stay before Medicare will pay for any rehab in a nursing home.
It is important for people to know that one needs to have a “qualified three-day hospital stay” before Medicare will cover costs at a subacute facility. This is something I’ve had to explain to many families in my role as a hospital discharge planning nurse. Someone can physically be in the hospital for several days, but under the status of “observation”. Although occupying a hospital bed for one or more overnights, these patients are not considered “in-patient”. “In-patient” status per Medicare means that the patient meets certain Medicare guidelines for acute care hospital admission. This is a complicated process, and the rules change every year! Thank you again for keeping us informed via your newsletters.
MY RESPONSE:
This reader is correct. The process is complicated. I am also aware of new appeal rights to determine whether “observation” status is appropriate. If you are in the hospital, ask questions…and we are always here for added support. Thank you to the reader for bringing this to our attention. |
