Andrew Roney, 70, spent three days in a hospital for an intestinal infection, and to his surprise, he got hit with a bill of $5,000. He had Medicare Part A hospitalization coverage and assumed it would cover his hospital stay. The hospital even told him
he was classified as inpatient when he first got there, and then his status was changed to observation status without him knowing the ramifications of the change.
Andrew was surprised to get the hefty bill, and despite his best efforts, there was nothing he could do about it except to pay up. “It came as a shock to the system,” said Andrew. “I don’t want anybody else to go through that.” He had given up hope of getting his money back at the time, but as of January 25, 2022, Andrew can now file an appeal!
In Certain Circumstances, Patients Can Appeal Lack of Coverage for Observation Status
