CMS proposes change to two-midnight rule

A proposed payment rule posted earlier this week outlines the CMS’ plan to allow physicians to exercise more judgment when admitting patients for short hospital stays. Under the proposed rule change, inpatient admissions that require less than two midnights of hospital care would be payable under Medicare Part A based on the admitting physician’s judgment of a case-by-case basis. There would be no change for stays that exceed the two-midnight benchmark.

Under the current two-midnight rule, inpatient admissions are payable under Medicare Part A if the admitting physician expected the patient would need to stay in longer than two midnights. Stays expected to last less than two midnights were generally not payable under Part A. 

The proposed rule will appear in the July 8 Federal Register and CMS will accept comments on it until August 31. The final rule will likely be issued on November 1. 

Source: CMS