Lawmakers Urge CMS To Delay Inpatient Admission Rule
More than 100 House members have sent a letter to CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner asking her to delay for six months a rule on Medicare inpatient admissions set to take effect Oct. 1. The rule would implement a time-based presumption period for medically necessary inpatient care where an admission would be deemed appropriate for payment if a physician expects that treatment will require a two-night hospital stay. The letter said that the rule could subject Medicare beneficiaries to increased out-of-pocket costs for hospitalization and post-acute skilled-nursing care.
- "More Than 100 House Members Ask CMS To Delay 'Two Midnight' Rule" (Carlson, Modern Healthcare, 9/24).