A new law gives a heads-up to those under hospital ‘observation’. As if being in a hospital wasn’t tough enough, patients on Medicare (those 65 and older) are now facing potentially huge out-of-pocket costs if they are placed on “observation status” instead of being formally admitted. And when such a patient then goes from the hospital to a nursing home, the bill from that stay, too, can be catastrophic. A new disclosure law that took effect Saturday will provide a much-needed heads-up.
