How Your Patient Status Could Affect Your Hospital Bill
The way a hospital categorizes your stay could have a big impact on how much you pay. As reporter Pei-Sze Cheng from our partner News 4 New York found, it comes down to whether you're listed as "admitted" or "under observation." And it turns out the difference is important — it affects how much Medicare will cover.
For the hospital, the difference is a semantic one — they are different billing categories, not different treatment categories. But "under observation" means that a patient is treated as an outpatient, and under certain circumstances, Medicaid might not pick up the bill.
Cheng said the key is to be vigilant, and make sure to ask the doctor or a hospital administrator about your status. You may also be able to fight the status you're assigned, or ask to be reconsidered.
"It's really unfair to the patient," Cheng said. "It's a lot for them to think about, especially when you think that, you know, a lot of people end up at the hospital under some very bad circumstances.
WNYC's Jami Floyd talks with Cheng about how hospitals might benefit by listing patients as one over the other.
Here's the video of Cheng's report on News 4 New York:
