How Medicare looses money...

[Mass]

I am going to vent, but that is part of the issues with Medicare.

My 91 MIL is in the hospital since Friday with a contraction fracture. She does not need to be in the hospital per se, as there are no care the hospital can give except physical theraphy.

Two doctors and the PT have recommended rehabilitation in a clinic that is specialized in these issues (and that happens to be a Health South clinic). This morning, hubby called and was told there was a bed and the only thing needed was the paperwork.

Later in the morning, he was called back by another person from the clinic who said they had no bed and she was too qualified (she can walk 50 feet with help!!), so they refused her (though I am sure the point is that she is too old and does not want long term care, so it will hurt their benefit).

So, back to square one. In the meantime, she stays at the hospital because she cant stay home, and hubby is stuck there trying to find a solution. (Thankfully we are living in MA, and not in France or in AZ, like my SIL).

What about regulating these private healthcare facilities so that they do not engulf the tax payer money.

[karynnj]

1. I am so sorry to hear about your mother in law's problem

I think that MA should propose giving incentives to rehabilitation facilities that would (in return for the incentives agree to regulation) with the goal that they create enough facilities to take any person in a hospital for whom rehab is preferable. If the incentives would good enough, it might lead the private places to sign on and it might enable new places to be built.

The current situation is bad for the patient and bad for the state and federal government that pay more for the hospital than they would for the rehab facility.

[Inuca]

2. Somewhat related, not Medicare

Something that happened to me a year or so ago, I may have already mentioned the story here (I am getting old you know...).

I had to have a visual field test, which I have periodically because of my eye problems. For those fortunate enough not to know what this is, it's a rather smart computerized test, where you stick your head into a sphere- like contraption where tiny flickers of light move randomly all over the place, and you have to press a clicker when you see a flicker. Obviously they have to test one eye at the time, so the other one is covered by papery/platicky little cup that ties around your head with a rubber band. That time, after the assistant had put the eye cover on, it was pulling my hair, so I tried to adjust the rubber band and it snapped. I apologized, and she said "no problem, these things are very poor qulity, and it happens often, and you won't believe how much they cost". I obviously asked, and I thought that her reply was that they are $18. I commented that it is an obscene amount, to which she replied, "no, not eighteen, EIGHTY!". EIGHTY dollars they have to pay for an eye cup, does not even have to be sterilized or anything, and some rubber band that woul dnot be used in the cheapest of the cheap underwear! I think it's stunning and obscene, and it's part of the huge vicious circle that is our medical system. Incidentaly and for what it's worth, this is a large ophtalmological practice associated with Washington Univ. (St. Louis) school of medicine.

And sorry for the troubles with your MIL, Mass :hug:

[Mass]

3. Oops. I meant compression fracture.

And she will spend one more night in the hospital. They found a room in a facility, but, at the last minute, they decided they would not take her for some reason. So, fourth night in the hospital. The hospital wants to discharge her, but they cannot find somebody to take her.