Did you know that just because you spend the night in the hospital that your surgery or procedure may not be considered inpatient?  Also, did you know that the difference in Medicare reimbursement between inpatient and outpatient surgery is substantial?  Like the difference between $225.00 (inpatient) and a 25% copay (outpatient) which in my case amounted to the difference between the aforementioned $225.00 and over $2,000.00! I did however learn a new term – Outpatient with Observation. I was told that even if I spent two nights in the hospital my procedure would be classed, and billed, as outpatient. It made no difference that the surgeon told me ahead of time that I would be in the hospital for one night and that I did spend one night in the hospital.

A word to the wise if you are on Medicare (I do not know if other types of insurance make the same distinction but you should probably check), before you begin any elective surgery or procedure that occurs in the hospital, and where you will be in the hospital for one or two days, try to make certain that the surgery or procedure will be classed as inpatient if you can.That way you will not get the wake up call I received.