Medicare Hoops and “Rules”
Everyone sees ads about how wonderful Medicare is. Here’s a story about hoops and rules that make patients seem like pawns in the hands of boards of directors.
Imagine you are in your 90’s on Medicare. You’re having rehab in a hospital after a heart attack, and next a back procedure is scheduled in the same hospital in 3 days. That sounds very do-able? Until.
The hospital informs you that you must check out in 2 days and then return for the procedure on the 3rd day (which is downstairs from your current room). So. Medicare has been petitioned to let you stay for additional rehab and the procedure.
Temperatures are in the single digits this week, and we all know that transporting patients of any age is risky. If you’re in your 90’s, it’s life threatening to go from room, ambulance, home, back to the hospital in a cold ambulance. It seems obvious to us, doesn’t it? The CEO’s of Humana and hospitals tick off boxes with no human connection to the patient. It’s more cost-efficient for the patient not to be transported twice.
For a family of an elderly patient to take time to appeal decisions from insurance companies and hospitals is unacceptable. Unless a patient has lawyers or savvy caretakers, nothing happens. Meanwhile you and your family wait and hope for the okay to stay in the room until the procedure. It’s the weekend in a snowstorm. Sunday evening is the anticipated move out day.
And there you are. Waiting.
My Mom had AARP insurance along with Medicare until 2003 when the rules changed. Because she lived in a small southern NM city, she could only get Humana. She was very healthy until she slipped & fell when she was in her 80’s. At first, they took reasonably good care of her but slowly decreased her care & completely stopped all care & nurse visits by the time she died at 96. My siblings & I had to hire a caregiver during the day. Thankfully, my younger brother who lived with her took over in the evening. I too only have Medicare.
Hopefully her end will be without pain. My husband wish is to make my coffee in the morning. Follow the sun around the house. Look after houseplants. Watch avian life on Barnegat Bay.