Medicare Observation Status and the 3-Day Rule: Why a Hospital Stay May Not Cover Rehab, and Your 2026 Right to Appeal
Observation status is billed as outpatient care, and that time does not count toward the three-day inpatient stay Medicare requires before it covers a skilled nursing facility. Here is a plain-English 2026 guide for Greensboro and Piedmont families: the SNF trap, the MOON, the narrow new waiver, and your now-permanent right to appeal.