You can bill Medicare Part A for the day of discharge when it is also the day of admission if the beneficiary was discharged to a provider that does not participate in the Medicare program. If the resident is discharged to a Medicare-participating provider, such as an acute care hospital, the SNF cannot bill for that day.
This is from the Medicare Claims Processing Manual, Chapter 6 - SNF Inpatient Part A Billing. It can be found at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/manuals/104_claims/clm104c06.pdf
<<QUOTE
40.3.5 - Determine Utilization on Day of Discharge, Death, or Day Beginning a Leave of Absence
(Rev. 1, 10-01-03)
SNF-517.6.B, A3-3103.4
Generally, the day of discharge, death, or a day on which a patient begins a leave of absence, is not counted as a utilization day. (See the Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, Chapter 3, âDuration of Covered Inpatient Services.â) This is true even where one of these events occurs on a patientâs first day of entitlement or the first day of a providerâs participation in the Medicare program. In addition, a benefit period may begin with a stay in a hospital or SNF, on that day.
The exception to the general rule of not charging a utilization day for the day of discharge, death, or day beginning a leave of absence is where the patient is admitted with the expectation that he will remain overnight but is discharged, dies, or is transferred to a nonparticipating provider or a nonparticipating distinct part of the same provider before midnight of the same day. In these instances, such a day counts as a utilization day. This exception includes the situation where the beneficiary was admitted (with the expectation that he would remain overnight) on either the first day of his entitlement or the providerâs first day of participation, and on the same day he was discharged, died, or transferred to a nonparticipating provider.
>>END QUOTE
Rena
Rena R. Shephard, MHA, RN, FACDONA, RAC-C
Chair, American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordinators
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subj: RENA
Date: 4/12/2004 7:32:34 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Reply-to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent from the Internet
In a message dated 4/12/2004 5:55:05 AM Pacific Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
If the date of admission and date of discharge are the same, you may bill Medicare for that day.
Nathan
This is the final correct answer to this issue, isn't it RENA?
