A typical hospital stay can range quite a lot depending on what you're in there for. A few days to a few months is pretty standard fare. But one patient apparently really liked the hospital vibes, staying well past their welcome. And now they're being sued over it, according to the New York Post.
Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare have sued a patient who has kept living in Room 373 of their hospital. She has allegedly been staying there, even after a formal discharge order was issued on October 6 of last year. The hospital has apparently tried their best to coordinate with the defendant's family to get her out of there, but to no avail.
"Defendant's continued occupancy prevents use of the bed for needing acute care", the suit explained. But, an attorney for the hospital, Rachel Givens, said that the hospital had no comment on the incident.
While we don't know what the patient was being treated for, or how high her hospital bill was, we do know she's been staying there without issue. Other than the lawsuit, of course. An online court hearing over the whole matter has been scheduled for the end of March.
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The Patient Is Representing Herself in the Hospital Lawsuit
While you might think she'd be wanting some legal representation considering what she's doing is illegal, she's instead decided to represent herself.
Speculation has been made about whether she won't leave because she can't pay, but that just might not be the case. The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act says that hospitals that get Medicare funds have to provide treatment to people who need it in emergency rooms. Even if they don't have insurance, or otherwise can't pay And the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital is one of those hospitals.
A comment from a healthcare worker on the New York Post expressed confusion at the whole situation. "Typically, patients are trying to get OUT of the hospital by any means possible... Maybe she liked the 24/7 vitals checks, and the free 'gourmet' meals. And the monitor alarms going off all night. I'd also be willing to bet that she has no money and no insurance."
