title: APC panel: don't finalize plan for observation packaging.
abstract: As the debate on packaging of observation charges nears a climax, understand your facility's patient mix and admission policies in order to predict the likely impact and prepare for the changes ahead. If your facility's policy is to admit elderly patients with chest pain, then the packaging of observation charges would have little impact on your department. If you normally send all chest pain patients for observation in a separate unit, increase your efforts to work cooperatively with other units to improve throughput. Inpatient admissions could increase significantly. If APC panel's recommendations are followed, it should be "business as usual" for your ED.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014487:Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S.; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D007344:Insurance Claim Reporting; D019370:Observation; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000191:economics*; D011445:Prospective Payment System; D014481:United States