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.
Many seniors are surprised to learn they were never admitted, even after staying overnight at a hospital and receiving treatment, testing and medications. Most learn about it when a bill arrives in the mail for out-of-pocket costs they never anticipated.
Why are hospitals doing this, why is it costing seniors money and how is Maine responding?
Are you being ‘observed’ in the hospital? Seniors, you might get a hefty bill
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Maine attorney general joins suit against phony cancer charities
Four phony cancer charities allegedly scammed consumers out of more than $187 million.
Health committee Democrats reject LePage’s call to drug test all TANF recipients
A LePage spokeswoman said the vote indicates that Democrats are “not serious about meaningful welfare reform.”
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4 reasons to practice mindfulness even if you’re not a Zen monk
Both as a meditation, and a daily practice integrated into “real life,” it’s a necessary part of my life. I cannot do justice to the benefit.
Diane Atwood, Catching Health
Strokes kill people we love. You need to know the risks.
Thirty years ago, my beloved grandmother — her name was Joanna Tenney, but we called her Nanny — had a massive stroke and died a few days later.
From the source
Patients who know what to expect after undergoing surgery are happier and less likely to experience problems, according to a new Gallup poll.
Compiled by BDN Health Editor Jackie Farwell