Young's Bill That Protects Medicare Patients Signed Into Law 08/07/15
Statement
Congressman Todd Young (R-IN) issued the following statement afterthe Notice of Observation Treatment and Implication for Care Eligibility (NOTICE) Act was signed by President Obama into law:
"Elderly patients shouldn't have to worry about technical status codes and hospital billing procedures while they're focused on recovering," said Congressman Young. "Yet when those technical details can significantly impact their health coverage and future medical bills, they deserve to be made aware. This new law ensures seniors won't be caught off guard by a large medical bill because they weren't given proper notice of their status in the hospital."
Young's law provides important protection for Medicare beneficiaries. It requires hospitals to inform Medicare patients of their admission status, whether it be "under observation" or as an "inpatient"and the financial implications of that classification on eligibility and cost-sharing. While the distinction is easy to miss, especially for elderly patients, it can significantly impact future health coverage and make a difference in out-of-pocket costs to a Medicare patient of $10,000, $100,000, or even more.
This law will make a difference to many Hoosiers and Americans. One example is a woman in Indiana who suffered a stroke and was transported to the emergency room for care, requiring a 4-day hospital stay. When recovering in a skilled nursing facility, she incurred a cost of close to $10,000 because the hospital classified her as "under observation" instead of as an "inpatient."
This woman, like so many others, deserved proper notice that her care would incur much larger costs than if she were classified as an "inpatient." She and her family deserved a chance to consult her primary physician about whether she should have been classified as an inpatient, as her primary physician later indicated. In a time of sickness and stress, families should focus on the recovery of their loved ones, instead of dealing with hidden costs due to lack of NOTICE.
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