If you are only starting to look into the world of Medicare and this most precarious transition from hospital to nursing home, then you will want to read a recent New Old Age Blog article titled “Fighting ‘Observation’ Status.” In a rush? Here is what you need to know: to qualify for Medicare nursing home coverage after a stay in a hospital, the patient has to have stayed as an admitted patient for three consecutive midnights, not including the day of discharge. In addition, that is “midnights” not “days,” “admitted” not “under observation,” and a number of additional technical rules the patient, the hospital, and Medicare have to get right.

Anyone with an elderly love one should understand these Medicare and hospital rules, as well as their rights, in advance of hospitalization. If you are looking for further information beyond the original article, then the Center for Medicare Advocacy is a great resource with free information like their digital “self help packet.”

Philip J. Kavesh
Nationally recognized attorney helping clients with customized estate planning guidance for over 40 years.
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