Inpatient Registration
The admission office is located in the front lobby of the hospital. When you are admitted you are asked a number of questions. Some questions are required by law and are not related to your medical condition. These questions may seem irrelevant, confusing, and even silly, but the federal government provides no alternatives for us. Please be patient while we ask you all of the admission questions.
Your accommodations are arranged by your physician who is a member of the HSHS St. Joseph's Hospital Medical Staff. Every reasonable effort is made to provide you with the accommodations that you request.
You will be given a wristband that displays your name and admission number. This admission number is very important to all hospital personnel.
The federal government provides guidelines for all hospitals that specify, on average, how long a person can stay in a hospital based solely on their medical condition. If you are notified through a Medicare or Medicaid denial letter that after a certain date, any additional expenses you incur must be paid for by you, a waiver of non-coverage must be completed if you want to stay in the hospital. This is required only because your stay is longer than the pre-determined length-of-stay determined by the federal government for your medical condition.
For Medicare or Medicaid coverage, the decision becomes yours as to how long you want to stay in the hospital, and how much you are willing to pay for this expense. If you have Medicare you will be given a copy of the Important Message from Medicare and asked to sign an acknowledgment form indicating you have received this document.