Every year, thousands of Medicare beneficiaries find themselves with sticker-shock after opening the mail to tens of thousands of dollars in unexpected medical bills. One woman in Indiana was left with close to $10,000 in out-of-pocket health costs after suffering a severe stroke which required a 4-day hospital stay, followed by 22 days of recovery in a skilled nursing facility. Because the hospital insisted she was not fully admitted as an 'inpatient' but only under 'observation', Medicare would not cover the cost. While this distinction is often impossible to determine, the economic implications can be extreme. 

To fix this problem for elderly Medicare patients and families who might end up in a similar situation, Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) and Congressman Todd Young introduced the NOTICE Act. The legislation provides seniors peace of mind by making sure they are notified up front of the costs their hospital stay could incur. Fortunately, the NOTICE Act passed Congress last year with broad bipartisan support and was signed into law. Beginning January 2017, patients will now receive the proper notice they deserve, providing them the ability to consult their primary physician so they can be their own best advocates. 

In a time of sickness and stress, families should focus on the recovery of their loved ones - not dealing with hidden costs due to lack of proper NOTICE. 
 

More coverage on the new Medicare law: 

New York Times: “Because of the NOTICE Act, passed by Congress last year with broad bipartisan support, patients can expect to start receiving these warnings in January... [continue reading]” 

Next Avenue: "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... [continue reading]” 

Kaiser Health News: "The U.S. Senate unanimously approved legislation Monday night requiring hospitals across the nation to tell Medicare patients when they receive observation care but have not been admitted to the hospital. It’s a distinction that’s easy to miss until patients are hit with big medical bills after a short stay... [continue reading]” 

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