CMS is hosting a call on September 26, 2013 to discuss the physician order, and physician certification, inpatient hospital admission, and medical review criteria that were adopted in the final FY 2014 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS)/Long-Term Care Hospital (LTCH) rule. In short, under this new policy, if the ordering practitioner expects a beneficiary's surgical procedure, diagnostic test or other treatment to require a stay in the hospital lasting at least two midnights, and admits the beneficiary as an inpatient based on that expectation, it is generally appropriate that the hospital receive Medicare Part A payment. The order must also be documented in the medical record in accordance with the regulations, and a physician must certify the medical necessity of hospital inpatient services.
This article is presented for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice.
