AARP Names U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett a 'Champion of the 50+'

Today, AARP announced U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett as a recipient of the 2016 “Champion of the 50+” legislative leadership award for his significant achievements during the 114th Congress that benefit the lives of the 50+ and our families.

Representative Doggett received his award for preserving seniors’ access to healthcare with his sponsorship and support in the passage of the Notice of Observation, Treatment and Implication for Care Eligibility (NOTICE) Act. The law requires hospitals to provide meaningful written and oral notification to patients who are in the hospital “under observation” for more than 24 hours.

“The work of Representative Doggett will help ensure that those who go to a hospital receive adequate explanations for their treatment, which has the potential to save them thousands of dollars in charges,” said AARP Texas Director Bob Jackson. “Thanks to Representative Doggett’s bipartisan leadership, the NOTICE Act will help families navigate the health care system more easily during what can be a traumatic time.”

The new law requires hospitals to notify patients that they may incur huge out-of-pocket costs if they stay more than 24 hours without being formally admitted. Currently, patients can be liable for substantial hospital bills while under hospital observation. Medicare will not pay for skilled nursing care unless a person has spent three consecutive days in the hospital as an inpatient. Also, Medicare does not pay for long-term care, or what’s known as custodial care, to help with basic personal tasks of everyday life.