"An individual may be discharged from and readmitted to a hospital or SNF several times during a benefit period and still be in the same benefit period if 60 consecutive days have not elapsed between discharge and readmission. The stays need not be for related physical or mental conditions."
See http://www.cms.hhs.gov/manuals/101_general/ge101c03.asp#10.4 for requirements.
Rena
Rena R. Shephard, MHA, RN, FACDONA, RAC-C
Chair, American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subj: FW: question regarding restarting Medicare
Date: 2/24/2004 8:07:41 AM Pacific Standard Time
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Reply-to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent from the Internet
>We have a resident who entered our facility as a Medicare patient. We
>dc'd his Medicare on day 15 due to no weight bearing status. He then
>received 50% weight bearing within the 30 days, and we restarted his
>medicare on day 16. He now has gone as far as he can with a platform
>walker and is being dc'd from Medicare 02-27. My question is, he has a
>return MD apt 03-24. If he gets full weight bearing, can we put him in
>Medicare again??
>
>I think we can, however, how many times can you take someone out and put
>back in under the same spell of illness?
>
>THANKS ALOT!
>TERRI :0)
>
>
