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Guide Helps Hospitalized Medicare Beneficiaries When the “Observation Status” Virus Strikes
Medicare beneficiaries who are admitted to a hospital and then discharged to a nursing home have been getting charged for care they thought Medicare would cover. A new self-help packet from the Center for Medicare Advocacy explains how beneficiaries can fight for the coverage they need. The problem arises if a hospital places you in “observation status” instead of formally admitting you. Observation status triggers Medicare Part B, a part of the Medicare law that does not pay for post-hospital care. Medicare covers nursing home stays entirely for the first 20 days, but only if the patient was first admitted…
