Medicare's three-day inpatient hospital stay

[left-of-center2012]

Study puts Medicare's three-day inpatient hospital stay in focus
Medicine has changed a lot since the 1960s, but Medicare still has in place a policy created in 1965 that requires that patients spend three days as an inpatient before they can be moved to a skilled nursing facility.

“The concern is that the policy may be unnecessarily extending the length of hospital stays. We know that every day in a hospital carries some risk, whether it’s for an infection, blood clots or some other risk,” said health policy researcher Amal N. Trivedi.
“Reshaping the mandate could shorten a lot of those hospital stays, avoid medical complications and curb costs.”

He estimated an overnight hospital stay can cost thousands of dollars, while the same night in a nursing facility can run several hundred dollars.
Dr. Trivedi said he didn’t know how much hospitals and the government might save by amending the hospitalization mandate.
Shorter stays cited in his study saved around $1,500 on average.

http://www.post-gazette.com/business/healthcare-business/2015/08/06/Study-puts-Medicare-s-three-day-inpatient-hospital-stay-in-focus/stories/201508060073

[haikugal]

1. I'm sorry but nursing facilities scare the hell out of me...

Care is uneven in hospitals, nursing homes...I'd hate to be at their mercy. I can see where it would save money but I'd like to see higher quality and more well educated nurses that earn what they're worth....not the minimum wage. It's not always about the bottom line...the one where the workers get shorted.

Just my take.

Why is the cost so high in hospitals...

[procon]

3. I agree with you.

The long term care industry is poor regulated at every level. These facilities focus on warehousing people and they are not using modern methods in serving the needs of theirs elderly and disabled patients. This whole country is ill prepared to meet the needs of the aging Boomers that will need assistance with daily living. Not everyone of them will need hospital care, but they will need some assistance. There aren't many facilities that provide assisted living units, but that's another area that ripe for exploiting the elderly.

[KT2000]

2. shorter stays in the hospital

means the patient immediately pays cash for their nursing home stay. Cash patients pay more than Medicare. Around here it can depends on if the doctor likes you or not. It is a ridiculous rule.

[GeorgeGist]

4. Because infections and blood clots never happen in nursing homes.

[haikugal]

5. I know...ridiculous isn't it?!

[NV Whino]

6. We are sadly lacking intermediate car facilities.

This happens at both ends. We need a triage/clinic stage where minor, but immediate, problems can be taken care of rather than going to the emergency room. Some areas may have these. We sure don't in my area.

We need post hospital evaluation or rehab centers for people who need to transition from the hospital to home, assisted care or nursing homes.

I ended up in a nursing home when what I really needed was minor assistance and rehab. It was not pleasant. Although being the vocal sort that I am, I made sure I got the rehab I needed to get out of there.

And what we really need is single payer medical care for all. If we had that, I think these other things would fall into place.