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Original Fee-For-Service Medicare: How To Maximize Use

Hospitals: In Patient

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Choice of Hospital

Hospital care is not a difficult choice under Medicare. Because the benefit payments by Medicare to hospitals are relatively generous, almost any licensed and accredited acute care hospital is available to you as a Medicare beneficiary.

For advice on which hospital to choose, see Choosing a Hospital.

If you will be admitted to the hospital

During the admission process:

  • Advise the Admissions Clerk that you have Medicare and show your Medicare card.
  • Let the Clerk know that when you leave the hospital you will want an itemized copy of the bill rather than the department total that is usually provided to patients. This will let you review the bill to make sure all charges are for treatment or supplies that you actually received. If you get a hassle, remind the clerk that you  are entitled to the itemized copy under the Federal Balanced Budget Act of 1997.
    • If you want to know more about the Federal Balanced Budget Act of 1997: The Act gives Medicare beneficiaries the right to submit a written request for an itemized statement from their provider/supplier for any Medicare item or service. The law requires that providers/suppliers furnish the itemized statement within thirty (30) days of the request, or they may be subject to a civil monetary penalty for each unfulfilled request.)
  • Ask what items of a "personal comfort" nature will not be covered by Medicare. For example, will you have to pay for any of the following items which Medicare won't pay for:
    • A bedside phone
    •  A rental fee on the television
    •  Reading material
    •  Hair styling
    •  Guest meals
    •  A bed for family members or friends that stay with you

To learn how to maximize your time in a hospital, read: How To Maximize Your Time In A Hospital


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