No harm, no foul? Wrong! It’s simple – the difference in terminology makes all the difference in the world: Inpatients qualify for Medicare coverage of their nursing home care following a hospital stay; outpatients don’t.
Congressman Joe Courtney (D. CT), and the Center for Medicare Advocacy held a Congressional briefing on “observation status” to alert Congress about Medicare beneficiaries who are being denied Medicare coverage for care in a skilled nursing facility (SNF) when their prior stay in an acute care hospital is labeled “outpatient observation” rather than inpatient. Read about this at http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/777/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=8514
Central Illinois’s Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) and Social Security Disability Specialist
www.wombacherlaw.com
