Surgery, whether planned or unexpected, can impact more than your physical condition. It may affect your mental or financial health, too. But the more information you have about what to expect after surgery, the better prepared — and hopefully less anxious — you’ll be. Read on to find ways to plan for your surgery recovery or an unforeseen health event.
Your experience will depend on your type of procedure. However, immediately following any surgery, you can expect to move to a recovery room for monitoring. How long you’re there, whether for minutes or hours, will depend on the type of surgery and if you were given anesthesia.
During this time, a nurse will check your vital signs and watch for concerns, such as side effects from anesthesia. You may be asked to sit up or walk, if you’re able, to help prevent complications like blood clots. If you experience pain, your nurse may administer appropriate medications.
Once you’re alert and your vital signs are stable, what happens next will depend on whether your surgery was inpatient or outpatient.
If you have an outpatient surgery, you’ll be released to go home and receive discharge instructions to help your recovery.
After an inpatient surgery, you’ll be moved to a hospital room for further observation and treatment. The complexity of your surgery and how you respond to it will determine the number of nights you stay. When the hospital releases you, you’ll receive your discharge instructions.
However, you may require professional help with recovery beyond your hospital stay. After a joint replacement, for example, you may need physical therapy to regain mobility, so you may be admitted to an inpatient rehabilitation or skilled nursing facility instead.
The discharge instructions you receive are important for your successful recovery. They provide details on allowed activities, foods to limit or avoid, bathing guidelines, medication directions, and follow-up appointments. Most importantly, they list symptoms to watch for and when to call your doctor.
Be sure to read these instructions when they’re given to you, so you can ask questions before you leave. You may also ask when you can resume driving or how long it will take your incision to heal.
When surgery is anticipated, you can make plans, organize your home, or stock up on items in advance. Here are ways to prepare for surgery and recovery:
Even without a planned surgery, now is a suitable time to understand your insurance coverage and be ready for surprises.
If you have original Medicare, you may know that Medicare Part A applies to inpatient surgery. Optional Part B applies to outpatient procedures. Knowing which surgery you’re having can be tricky, since according to Medicare, an overnight stay can qualify as outpatient. That makes it wise to ask the doctor or hospital, each day of your hospital stay, to verify your inpatient versus outpatient status. However, no matter which type of surgery you have, know that your plan will cover some, but not all, of your expenses.
To start, you’re responsible for your deductible as well as copayment and coinsurance. Once you meet your deductible, you’re responsible for 20% of your bill for outpatient procedures. For inpatient surgeries, you may not have any expenses for up to 60 days in a benefit period. This is assuming that you choose Medicare-approved hospital services.
Should you need care after your hospital stay, Medicare will only provide coverage when you meet all its conditions. For admission to a skilled nursing facility, for example, you must have had a qualifying hospital stay of at least three days, not including the day you were discharged. For home health care, you must be “homebound” and require medical assistance. To get help with bathing or walking, you must also need skilled nursing, physical therapy, or another Medicare-approved service. That’s why, to ensure the care you need, you may want to consider supplemental health plans.
Short-term Care insurance, a more affordable and alternative solution to Long-term Care insurance, can provide the coverage you need for skilled nursing in a facility or your home. You choose the daily benefit you wish to receive for up to 360 days in a benefit year. Your plan should also include benefits for making safety and accessibility improvements to your home and for care coordination planning for post-surgery.
Hospital Indemnity insurance pays you a cash benefit for each day you’re in the hospital. This can be helpful for covering expenses not approved by Medicare. Optional riders, such as Outpatient Surgery or Observation Unit, help ensure coverage when you don’t qualify as an inpatient or your status changes. Other Hospital Indemnity riders help minimize costs for a stay in a skilled nursing facility or for outpatient therapy after the hospital.
Medicare Supplement insurance, otherwise known as Medigap, is meant to fill gaps between what’s paid by original Medicare and the overall cost of health care treatments. It also helps with charges like copays, deductibles, and coinsurance. If you’re 65 years old and enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B, you can apply for Medicare Supplement insurance.
To be well protected for all of life’s what-ifs:
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