Inpatient or Outpatient? The classification really matters!

A "patient can be in a hospital for several days under observation, without being formally admitted by a doctor. The stay is considered outpatient care and can include emergency department services, observation services, outpatient surgery, lab tests, X-rays and other various hospital services." The difference in cost between being formally admitted to the hospital or considered "outpatient" can be huge, according to Karen Demasters.
"If a patient is admitted to a hospital for at least three days, the subsequent costs of any nursing home care, including rehab or therapy, is covered by Medicare Part A for the first 20 days and most costs are covered for another 80 days." However, if considered an "outpatient," costs are covered by "Medicare Part B, which only covers 80 percent of most medical expenses. In addition, any subsequent nursing home stay is not covered at all."
While Demaster's article focuses on Medicare-eligible patients, younger persons can also face uninsured medical expenses if they are treated as outpatients. get the details at: https://www.fa-mag.com/news/beware-of-being-in-a-hospital-for--observation-36368.html