In its final regulations for the 2014 Inpatient Prospective Patient System, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services emphasized the importance of physician certifications. Under the regulations, Medicare will only pay for an inpatient admission if a physician certifies the medical necessity for the stay. The first piece of such certification is for the physician to complete an inpatient order when he or she expects that the patient will require a stay that crosses at least two midnights.
In addition to the order, physician certification for the inpatient stay also must include the following information:
- Certification that the inpatient services were ordered in accordance with the Medicare regulations governing the order;
- The reasons for either: (1) hospitalization of the patient for inpatient medical treatment or medically required inpatient diagnostic study; or (2) special or unusual services for cost outlier cases under the inpatient prospective payment system;
- The estimated time the beneficiary requires or required in the hospital;
- The plans for post hospital care, if appropriate, and as provided in the Medicare regulations; and
- For Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), the physician must certify that the patient will reasonably be expected to be discharged or transferred to a hospital within 96 hours after admission to the CAH.
Physicians must complete all certification for the inpatient stay prior to patient discharge. In order to help ensure Medicare payment for inpatient admissions, hospitals should educate physicians on the importance of certifications, and provide assistance to physicians in gathering necessary documentation.
CMS has prepared a guidance document about hospital inpatient admission orders and certification. For more information about inpatient admission certification, please contact Casey Moriarty.
