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Had a surgery Sunday, today I'm supposedly going home, but they told they were processing my discharge papers hours ago and its been "any minute now" everything I have asked since.
But that's the case with everything in this God Forsaken place, and I tired of staring at the wall.
If I wait, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, clearly.
But if I leave without their say so, even as they are allegedly working on my papers, it will go down as leaving Against Medical Advice, and could be a problem with insurance, not to mention liability if anything went wrong.
So what if I did something to speed up this process? Get myself kicked out deliberately?
For example, I push the call button, and when the nurse comes in and asks what she can get me, I pull out my cigarettes, light up right in the room and say:
"How about an ash tray m'lady?"
Or maybe I start loudly singing "We will rock you!" While stomping on the floor and clapping.
Then they likely show me to the door in no time, but can't claim that I left against medical advice. Because medical staff, you know, advised me to leave, now.
The staff is probably attending to sick patients. You're not. The staff is probably overstressed. Have a cup of chamomile tea and chill. Don't add to their already stressful jobs. They're doing the best they can under difficult situations.
Being nasty and pitching a fit because you aren't getting exactly what you want is juvenile. If you expected sympathy you aren't getting it from this quarter.
It could be worse...you could be getting discharged accompanied by a terminal cancer prognosis. How's that for inconvenience?
Let me guess. You would also scream bloody murder if that same hospital neglected to note some vital bit of your discharge order, gave you the wrong antibiotic or pain relief, mixed your chart up with someone else's, took a protocol shortcut and handed you an infection, or cut the wrong thing out of you all because you insisted they hurry, right?
Life is tough right now. Be kind to the people who bothered to show up.
Last edited by Parnassia; 09-29-2021 at 02:46 PM..
Welcome to America's Hospitals where I feel sometimes they delay the release of patients, SPECIALLY those that have no voice in their Health matters, just to charge Medicare/Commercial Insurance an extra day....
It has happenned in my Family Nucleus, and it's a SHAME
Unless you are deemed a danger to yourself or others, you are perfectly free to leave a hospital AMA whenever you want. You are also not required to sign any papers. Just try to be nice and polite about it (although I assume you’ve already been discharged by now). You don’t have to worry about liability (why would you? It’s typically the health care providers who worries about liability) or your insurance not paying. Insurance not paying is an urban legend.
Be patient, paperwork has to be done, some things verified/checked, instructions given, and then doctor is suppose to see you and sign release papers. Everyone can't just drop what they're doing with other patients just so you can rush out.
Unless you are deemed a danger to yourself or others, you are perfectly free to leave a hospital AMA whenever you want. You are also not required to sign any papers. Just try to be nice and polite about it (although I assume you’ve already been discharged by now). You don’t have to worry about liability (why would you? It’s typically the health care providers who worries about liability) or your insurance not paying. Insurance not paying is an urban legend.
I can't comment on the Medicare portion, however, with another insurer we experienced a similar such delay of hours and hours. I called the insurance company and was told that leaving was against medical advice and would be noted as such. I asked if he were going to be discharged why we had to wait for hours for a discharge nurse as he had been seen by his Dr. who told him he was discharged and it was further explained that if he were to be readmitted for the same thing that brought him in, in the first place, we could be held liable. I asked what about if he were discharged and had to return for the same thing and they said then it is on the hospital and insurance will fight it out with them. Not sure this is true or not.
I have to believe you are home now, but if this happens to anyone else there is a patient advocate in every facility that you can call.
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