Hospital billing shifting the cost to Medicare patients
Politico, June 6, 2012
A hospital billing practice that can leave Medicare beneficiaries on the hook for large medical costs is becoming increasingly common, according to a report released in Health Affairs on Monday. Three researchers from Brown University examined how frequently patients are placed on "observation status," meaning they're getting treatment in a hospital but are not technically admitted. That means their care is covered by Medicare Part B rather than Part A, which can leave patients responsible for a greater share of their costs.
Most Viewed
Most Emailed
- 69% of Employers Plan to Offer Healthcare Coverage After 2014
- Building a Better Healthcare Board
- Primary Care Docs Average More Hospital Revenue Than Specialists
- CMS Seeks to 'Rapidly Reduce' Medicare Spending with $1B in Grants
- Hospital Pricing Data Dump Won't Hurt You, Yet
- Quiet ORs Better for Patient Safety
- CMS Releases Hospital Pricing Data
- Case Study: Advance Care Conversations
- Evidence-Based Practice and Nursing Research: Avoiding Confusion
- Patient Harm Data to Remain on Medicare's Hospital Compare Site
