Insurance kicking me out within 23 hours of hysterectomy surgery?

Surgery was approved, no problems, but then I get my surgery packet and it has a note that tells me that insurance only covers a 23 hour stay. I had only planned on being at the hospital a day anyway, but am now a little freaked out and feel pressured to leave the hospital super quickly.
What does that mean exactly anyway? Is it 23 hrs from my check in time which is 2 hrs prior to surgery? 23 hrs from the end of my surgery? The start?
I was thinking it probably meant 23 hrs from check in. So I check in at 7am, surgery at 9, average of 2 hrs in surgery, so finished at 11am, then spend a few hrs in recovery and be transfered to a normal room, just so I can get a few hrs of slep before being booted by 6am? That just seems so rushed to me. Every other surgery I have ever had and I am still puking my guts up the day after surgery.
I just keep getting more and more nervous as my date gets closer. I wish it was Tomm just so I could have it over with, seems like the stressing pre-op is worse then the actual procedure.

I'm not an expert, but here is how it worked for me. My insurance pre-approved a 23 hour hospital stay with DaVinci. This is the standard time they allow to me if I had no complications.

I had complications with nausea and ended up staying 2 additional days. My entire stay in the hospital will be covered because the extra days were deemed medically necessary (I could not go home on an IV for liquids).

Hope that helps,

I think it is 24 hours from the time you are in a room. But I think billing for the room is whoever is in the room at mid nite. I work at a hospital but not positive.

I am 8 days post op.. Here is how I understand it to be. .If it is approved for 23 hours.. It is considered out patient. That is the way mine was written up.. However it is the Doctor's final decision on what he wants you to do. Mine wanted me to stay one night b/c of the pain and catheder . So dont worry about it too much,, it is a bunch of insurance language.. Just prepare for you surgery and dont worry about what they say. In the end your doctor gets final say. And they will pay.

My insurance said the same thing... 23 hour outpatient. What the hospital told me was that I was allowed to stay one NIGHT and as long as my Dr didn't find a need to keep me longer as for high BP, heavy bleeding, etc, I would be released BEFORE midnight the next night. It didn't matter what time I had to be in pre op or what time I was admitted to a room or even what time I was discharged, just as long as I didn't stay a second night without my Dr explaining a reason for the added time.
Honestly, it's all just insurance games. The hospital can't 'kick you out' until your Dr has cleared you for discharge, no matter how long that takes you. 😇

My insurance only approved a one-day stay for an abdominal. My surgeon told me that it was fairly standard for them to do this, and that the hospital would simply call the company after 23 hours were up to convert me to two-night.

The insurance companies just like to put as many hoops and obstacles between you and a payout as they can. :-( That said, they did pay out at 90% for an out-of-state procedure, which was lovely since I could get the surgery done by my cousin's wife and her colleague, and recuperate in their beautiful house. It made a big difference to me. I wish I could bottle my recovery experience and pass it around when I hear what some other women have gone through.

Also, after I checked out of my room I stayed in it for almost the rest of the day until someone could come and pick me up. They don't care as long as no one is needing the bed right away and you don't order food for the rest of the day. Of course, I'm sure this varies.

I had LAVH and I was in the hospital for a total of 6.5 hours (this includes check-in, 3.5-hour surgery, then recovery), then I went home. It was just fine as I had no complications.

You'll be okay! And as others have mentioned, if your doctor doesn't feel you are ready to go home, you won't be released.

ok, this is all good to know. So basically, It's one Night in the hospital, and if I need more time for some reason, my Doc can request it and it will be approved. I was sitting here worried about being thrown out in the middle of the night, lol. I am so stressed, I can't wait for this to be over.

WOW, 6-7 hrs total for a 3.5 hr surgery!!! I can't even imagine that. With 2 hrs pre op thats only like 30 minutes in recovery, I am surprised you could even stay awake by then. You are a trooper! I wish us all fast, healthy recoveries like this one!

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Originally Posted by brandys0524 ok, this is all good to know. So basically, It's one Night in the hospital, and if I need more time for some reason, my Doc can request it and it will be approved. I was sitting here worried about being thrown out in the middle of the night, lol. I am so stressed, I can't wait for this to be over. WOW, 6-7 hrs total for a 3.5 hr surgery!!! I can't even imagine that. With 2 hrs pre op thats only like 30 minutes in recovery, I am surprised you could even stay awake by then. You are a trooper! I wish us all fast, healthy recoveries like this one!

I came out of the anesthesia pretty quickly. Then I got up, used the bathroom, got dressed...sat for a few minutes waiting for my friend to pull the car around and walked out. I was a very determined patient lol. Wishing you just as quick a recovery!!! (And the waiting is FAR WORSE than the surgery itself!!!)