Increasingly, hospital patients throughout the country are learning they are considered outpatients, on "observation status," not inpatients, although they have stayed many days and nights and been treated IN a hospital. The Center has … [Read more...] about Bills Concerning Hospital Observation Status Reintroduced
Observation Status
Déjà Vu All Over Again: CMS Decides (Again) Not to Decide About Observation Status
On July 30, 2012, as part of proposed rulemaking on the outpatient prospective payment system, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) asked for public comment on potential policy options related to "observation … [Read more...] about Déjà Vu All Over Again: CMS Decides (Again) Not to Decide About Observation Status
CMS Invites Public Comment on Observation Status
August 9, 2012 Note to Alert readers: This Posted version contains additional information beyond that in the emailed version.As part of a notice of proposed rulemaking published in the Federal Register on July 30, 2012, the Centers for Medicare … [Read more...] about CMS Invites Public Comment on Observation Status
More Concerns About Observation Status: Hospitals Join the Chorus
Hospital case managers and the hospital industry have joined the chorus of those opposed to observation status – a designation that renders a beneficiary ineligible for Medicare-covered skilled nursing facility (SNF) care. This Alert … [Read more...] about More Concerns About Observation Status: Hospitals Join the Chorus
Brown University Confirms Observation Continues to Replace Hospital Admission Status
Since 2008, the Center for Medicare Advocacy (the Center) has been reporting that an increasing number of Medicare beneficiaries are being placed in acute care hospital beds for multiple days – receiving medical and nursing care, diagnostic tests, … [Read more...] about Brown University Confirms Observation Continues to Replace Hospital Admission Status
Reducing Rehospitalizations… The Right Way
For several years, reducing rehospitalizations of Medicare beneficiaries has been a key public policy goal, the intent of which is to improve quality of care for beneficiaries and reduce costs for the Medicare program.[1] Studies have shown … [Read more...] about Reducing Rehospitalizations… The Right Way
Press Release: Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Federal Government to Improve Access to Medicare Coverage
Preserving Access to Necessary Care: Ending Hospital “Observation Status”
The Center for Medicare Advocacy has heard increasingly about beneficiaries throughout the country whose entire stays in a hospital, including stays as long as 14 days, are classified by the hospital as outpatient observation. In some … [Read more...] about Preserving Access to Necessary Care: Ending Hospital “Observation Status”
Congressman Joe Courtney and Center for Medicare Advocacy Hold Congressional Briefing on Observation Status
Coalition Urges Congress to Pass Legislation Safeguarding Medicare Beneficiaries' Skilled Nursing Care For Immediate Release October 21, 2012 Terry Berthelot 860-456-7790 Toby … [Read more...] about Congressman Joe Courtney and Center for Medicare Advocacy Hold Congressional Briefing on Observation Status
Study Finds that Use of Hospitalists Shifts Costs from Inpatient Care to Post-Discharge Setting
Hospitalists are defined as physicians who are based full-time in acute care hospitals and who provide care to hospitalized patients. The past decade has witnessed a rapid growth in hospitals' use of hospitalists, who have been shown to … [Read more...] about Study Finds that Use of Hospitalists Shifts Costs from Inpatient Care to Post-Discharge Setting