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A section of the recently released Office of Inspector General (OIG) report on suggested changes to Department of Health and Human Services program included a recommendation that "CMS should analyze the potential impacts of counting time spent as an outpatient toward the 3-night requirement for SNF services so that beneficiaries receiving similar hospital care have similar access to these services." This item was one of 25 'significant' unimplemented recommendations that, in OIG's view, would most positively affect HHS programs in terms of cost savings, program effectiveness and efficiency, and public health and safety if implemented. Subsequently, CMS issued a new fact sheet on the SNF 3-Day Rule Billing process explaining how to understand coverage rules and the Medicare SNF claims processing system. AHCA and MSCA support legislation that would ensure that time spent under "observation status" in a hospital counts toward satisfying the three-day inpatient hospital requirement for coverage of skilled nursing care services under Medicare. |