Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Senate Panel Asks Medicare To Revamp Programs To Cut Number Of Observation Stays
Modern Healthcare: Medicare Recovery Audit Program Targeted For Reform After Spike In Observation Stays
Members of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging called on the CMS during a hearing Wednesday to make changes to Medicare's recovery audit contractor program, which some providers have identified as a driving force behind the rise in observation stays in recent years. Committee members encouraged the agency to implement recommendations recently backed by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, in addition to making other changes to address the "hospital observation stay crisis." (Adamopoulos, 5/20)
McKnight's Long-Term Care News: Collins: Patients Stuck In 'Medical Twilight Zone' From Observation Stays
Hospital observation stays leave a Medicare beneficiary in a “medical twilight zone,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) said at the Senate Special Committee on Aging committee hearing Wednesday. Too often, patients do not know the type of care they are receiving or for how long they have to be there, Collins said. Those under observation status can sometimes end up paying thousands in out-of-pocket costs, often when they land in post-acute care, she observed. Typically, an observation stay is only supposed to last 24 hours, she noted. But the length of these stays have grown, sometimes exceeding 72 hours. (Petrovich, 5/20)
Maine Public Radio: Maine Nurse Testifies On Medicare Problem
A Maine nurse urged federal lawmakers to put an end to a practice that can saddle seniors on Medicare with unexpected medical bills. Tori Gaetani of Beacon Health, part of Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, testified before a Senate Aging Committee hearing on the problem of Medicare patients who spend time in the hospital under what is called "observation status" but are not actually admitted. Medicare does not pay for any skilled nursing care a senior under observation status might need. Gaetani asked lawmakers to change the rules. (Leary, 5/20)
Bangor Daily News: Are You Being ‘Observed’ In The Hospital? Seniors, You Might Get A Hefty Bill
If you’re a Medicare enrollee who has been hit by an unexpected medical bill, you might be familiar with the term “observation status.” Hospitals increasingly are placing seniors under “observation” instead of admitting them as inpatients, and a Senate panel led by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins wants them to hit the brakes. (Farwell, 5/21)
Related KHN coverage: FAQ: Hospital Observation Care Can Be Costly For Medicare Patients (Jaffe, 6/18/14)
