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Medicare Advantage 101: New policy series explains Medicare Advantage and its role within the Medicare system.

Eliminate the Observation Status Penalty

Medicare beneficiaries who need post-hospital care in a skilled nursing facility (SNF) may be forced to pay out-of-pocket for this care when the hospital chooses to assign them to “observation status” instead of admitting them as an inpatient. Congress should reevaluate the three-day hospital stay requirement, and all days in the hospital should count toward coverage for needed SNF care.