SUMMARY: A hospital refused to admit a person suffering from severe pain due to extreme hip joint degeneration and MRSA. The hospital did keep them in the hospital "under observation" but would not admit them. This prevents them from qualifying for Medicare to pay for recovery in a care facility pending surgery.
A close friend is 68. They were recently successfully treated for a stage one cancer. Dealing with the cancer prevented them from attended to a steadily worsening hip joint. The hip has continued to worsen and has become intolerable, preventing them from walking. They planned to have the joint replaced this December and were about to finalize surgery.
However, they developed, for the first time, a deep abscess in the anal area which turned out to be MRSA.
The severe pain (a 10+) from the hip (and perhaps aggravated by the deep MRSA abscess) forced them to go to the hospital emergency room.
Surgery with general anesthetic was performed on the abscess and special antibiotics were administered to combat the MRSA.
Because of the MRSA the hip surgery -- and relief from the pain -- was no longer possible until they recovered from the MRSA infection.
The severe hip pain continued and a doctor injected cortisone into the hip. This immediately and dramatically reduced the pain and the hospital discharged them.
Within 48 hours the severe pain returned and they went back to the hospital which referred them to a convalescent home for which they would have to pay for in full. They cannot afford to pay for more than a few days in this facility.
The hospital held and treated her for three days BUT DID NOT ADMIT HER. Instead they had her "under observation."
Had the hospital admitted her for three days she would have qualified for admission to the care facility until the MRSA was resolved.
Why would a hospital refused to admit a patient under these circumstances? Did they receive more money from medicare by keeping them "under observation" instead of admitting them?
How can I help them get the treatment they need through Medicare?
I guess if the charitable organisation is spending for ER trips, can't they pay for you to see the GI and get some strategy to your Crohn's? Did they not talk about treatments when you were diagnosed?
