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What is Inpatient vs. Outpatient Care?

Ashley Brooks
Ashley Brooks23 Aug 2022
Reviewed and Fact Checked ✔️

The difference between inpatient and outpatient care is the duration of a stay at a medical facility due to surgery, procedure, or treatment. Inpatient facilities require overnight hospitalization so the patient can remain under the supervision of a healthcare provider, while outpatient facilities do not require patients to stay overnight. 

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Difference Between Inpatient vs Outpatient Care

Inpatient care often requires patients that have recently undergone a surgery, procedure, or treatment to stay overnight in a medical facility to be closely monitored by a healthcare provider. The length of stay depends on the type of procedure, and the costs can vary as well. Typically, the longer stay, the more expensive the bill. 

Outpatient care does not require patients to remain under the supervision of a healthcare provider after a procedure or treatment. Patients are able to leave once the procedure is complete, or once they are able to resume normal activities when anesthesia has worn off. Receiving care at an outpatient facility is often less expensive due to fewer medical supplies used during recovery. 

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Ashley Brooks

Ashley Brooks works in Healthcare Consulting and graduates with her MPH in September of 2022 from George Washington University, but graduated with her B.S. in Health Science from James Madison University in 2019. Ashley has been with Mira since June of 2021 and shares the passion for creating affordable healthcare coverage for all!

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