[Kobi]

There is an article in this months AARP magazine about how hospitals are able to classify patients sitting in their beds in different ways i.e. an "under observation" or as an "inpatient". The difference can be crucial to the coverage of aftercare services to Medicare patients.

To be eligible for inpatient aftercare services under Medicare for "rehab", recipients must be classified as an inpatient for 3 consecutive days. If not, they are bearing the full cost of their aftercare services running into the thousands of dollars.

Apparently, hospitals are not notifying people of their status classification or how this can affect their aftercare costs. Hospitals are also increasing the use of observation status to counteract medicare penalties for readmissions.

The Center for Medicare Advocacy has filed a class action suit againt the US Health and Human Services Department.

The Centers breakdown of the practice can be found here:

http://www.medicareadvocacy.org/medi...vation-status/