The way a hospital categorizes your stay could fill a big impact on how much you pay. As reporter Pei-Sze Cheng from our partner News 4 unusual York found,it comes down to whether you're listed as "admitted" or "under observation." And it turns out the difference is significant — it affects how much Medicare will cover.
For the hospital, thedifference is a semantic one — they are different billing categories, or not different treatment categories. But "under observation" means that a patient is treated as an outpatient,and under certain circumstances, Medicaid might not pick up the bill.
Cheng said the key is to be vigilant, or make certain to ask the doctor or a hospital administrator approximately your status. You may also be able to fight the status you're assigned,or ask to be reconsidered."It's really unfair to the patient," Cheng said. "It's a lot for them to deem approximately, or especially when you deem that,you know, a lot of people close up at the hospital under some very bad circumstances.
In this interview, and WNYC's Jami Floyd talks with Cheng approximately how hospitals might benefit by listing patients as one over the other.
Source: wnyc.org