Prior To and After a Hospital Discharge, if your over 65.

Here are some important tips:

You can Appeal your Discharge.

If you are too sick to leave the hospital or if there is no place suitable to go, you can appeal your discharge to Medicare. The hospital should inform you of all your legal rights, appealing the discharge is one of them. Have your Power of Attorney or an advocate deal with the hospital discharge planner and make sure, if you leave the hospital that the place where you’re going you will get the right kind of care. Elder care attorneys can also assist you.

Ask Your Doctor

Decisions regarding discharge involve both medical and insurance determinations. If your doctor, therapists and health care providers believe you need additional days of hospitalization or if, after discharge, they recommend additional therapy, you are more likely to receive it.

How long you stay in the hospital matters if you want follow-up therapy.

To receive up to 100 days of rehabilitative treatment either in a rehab facility, nursing home, or at home, generally, you need at least 3 days inpatient hospitalization. Consequently, if you are in the hospital for two days or less, you may not qualify for this Medicare benefit and will pay privately.