Why are they letting them go?

Question

My dad and grandma have both had surgeries.. my grandma had a back surgery and 2 hours later they let her go home, my dad had a shoulder surgery and a few hours they let them him go. Why are the hospitals letting them go so early???? They used to like let them stay in the hospital to make sure they're doing okay. It just doesn't make since to me

Answer 1

Insurance companies push for people to be discharged sooner to save the Ins Cos money. Insurance is a business, and business is about making money. The health of patients is no longer the primary concern. It's sad, but unfortunately true.

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I didn't forget to add anything. Since it was pointed out, that I left some things out about cost, I'll include that during one of my trips to the hospital, some gauze (about 6 pads worth, to be specific) cost me $16.50. The same cost as the benzociaine injections I received. Gauze does not cost 16 dollars unless you're buying a case of it.

Answer 2

Unfortunately you don't provide much detail regarding the types of back or shoulder surgery your relatives recieved. Many types of surgery are considered outpatiernt and do not require an overnight stay. Additionally, as surgical methods progress incisions become smaller, physical trauma is reduced, and more and more surgeries become outpatient or require only an overnight observation..

Also, you might want to consider that people are often much more comfortable at home in familiar surroundings and there is quite a bit of research that indicates people heal quicker when at home and empowered to care for themselves (even if only for a small part of the time).

Don't forget that hospitals harbor some terrible diseases, specifically infections, for example recently wide-spectrum anti-biotic resistent staph infections have become more common. They scare the c**p out of me.

On another note, despite the portrait of evil money grubbing corporate bandits that Swan Song paints, the truth is that hospital stays are very expensive and days spent in the hospital unnecessarily turn into higher premiums for it's customers (Swan conviently forgot to mention the customer side of the insurance business).

And consider that insurance companies are very smart when it comes to figuring out risk and cost/benefit (one reason they weren't hit nearly as hard as banks were by the sub-prime finance market collapse.). If your father or grandmother were to be discharged prematurely at the insistance of an insurance company and they were to, god-forbid, suffer complications, this would wind up costing many times more to correct than the money saved by the early discharge.

You'd be well served to ask your relatives if they'd have preferred to remain in the hospital for longer and if they feel that their discharge was premature or different than what they discussed with their surgeon before the operations...

Answer 3

since it doesn't make since to you, i think it's because they are a bit crowded there and need the rooms for other surgeries, and then they looked ok, they let em go

Answer 4

The Hospitals are not letting anyone GO, the Physician makes that decision.  The decision is made with regard to the type of surgery, the condition of the patient,  and the Federal Guidelines by Medicare if your relatives are on Medicare.

It has been determined that many hospital stays were not necessary for full and fast recovery and the patients recovered faster in their home environment.  

As an example, a woman giving birth could expect to have been in the hospital for 7 to 10 days 50 years ago, today it is 32 hour stay if no complications are present.  Technique and improved surgical instruments are responsible for the reduction of hospital stays.