Understanding Inpatient and Observation Admission Status

As a patient admitted to the Hospital, the severity of your illness (how sick you are) and the intensity of service (the medical treatment you require) are considerations in determining the appropriate level of care to which you are assigned.

The process of determining level of care helps us comply with Medicare, Medicaid, managed care plans and commercial payer regulations related to observation or inpatient status.

The determination of whether your hospital stay is designated as inpatient or observation does not affect the quality of care you receive; however, it may have billing and discharge planning implications.

• Medicare Hospital Status: What You Need To Know at Newton-Wellesley (pdf)