Observation Status at Joint Township District Memorial Hospital

Observation status is services furnished within the hospital, including the use of a bed and periodic monitoring by nursing or other staff that are reasonable and medically necessary to evaluate your condition or determine the need for a possible inpatient admission.

Observation status is assigned when you do not meet requirements for inpatient admission but may still require short term monitoring, or if discharge is expected within 24 hours.

Observation allows the physician time to aggressively manage your care, to make a decision, and then to rapidly move you to the most appropriate level of care, either inpatient or home.

What You Should Know … Observation Is An outpatient service.

Anytime during the first 24 hours of your observation stay your physician could make the decision to discharge you. Observation status usually does not exceed 24 hours. For this reason, it is important for you to make arrangements for your transportation once treatments are completed.

While in observation, nursing or other staff will monitor you to evaluate your condition, provide continued treatments that are necessary, and communicate to your physician with the information he or she needs to provide you with appropriate care. If your physician decides that you require additional or longer treatment, your observation status may be changed to inpatient.

Billing for Observation.

Insurance carriers and Medicare have special requirements for Observation Services. Observation is billed and reimbursed by insurance as an outpatient service. Most insurance carriers recognize and pay for Observation provided your current insurance covers outpatient services.

Charges are billed at an hourly rate, rather than a daily room charge. Observation begins when you are placed in an observation bed and ends when your treatments are completed and you are discharged.

There may be additional charges for supplies and other services provided just as with any other outpatient service. Your insurance / Medicare may not pay for certain charges. You will be billed for any non-covered items.

If you have additional concerns or questions regarding observation status, please speak with your physician or ask to speak with a Care Manager.

"You have been assigned to an outpatient observation bed. Anytime within the first 24 hours of your stay, your physician will usually be able to make a decision to admit you as an inpatient to the hospital or to discharge you. Please have arrangements made for your transportation home when treatments are completed."

-Thank You