Many insurance companies have new guidelines for treatments and medical services that are not expected to keep you in the hospital for more than 24 hours. The status, called admit to observation or ATO, gives your physician time to evaluate and treat your condition before deciding whether to admit you to the hospital or allow you to go home if your condition improves.
Although you will be in a regular hospital bed during observation, your insurance coverage treats the observation period as an outpatient visit. As with outpatient appointments, you will need to pay any copayments, deductibles or other charges that may apply. If you have any questions about admit to observation status, please call Admitting at (617) 732-5524.
