From the field: Inpatient admission date and time compliance
Recovery Auditor Report, February 10, 2011
This past summer when the first Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) approved the issue “inpatient admissions without a physician’s inpatient admit order,” it placed an impetus on hospitals to tighten up internal processes to avoid RAC audits and potential recoupments at their facility. Recently, CMS released guidance on hospital inpatient admission decisions, which shows that there is still confusion and room for improvement.
One seemingly prevalent hot-button issue is the date and time for an inpatient/observation admission to an acute-care facility. The admission date and time is determined by the physician’s “admit to inpatient,” order, but sometimes the correct course of action is not so cut and dry.
For example, if a physician makes the decision to “admit to inpatient” at 11 p.m. on January 1, 2011, the inpatient admission date would be 11 p.m. But if the patient is in the emergency room at this time and the order is written at 11 p.m. and the patient is not transferred until midnight, what is the proper time to document?
Related Products
-
Facility vs. professional coding challenges
During this 90-minute audio conference, Kimberly Anderwood Hoy, JD, CPC, and Peggy Blue, MPH, CPC, CCS-P, will explain how...
-
The 2013 Medicare Compliance Forum: Las Vegas, NV
-
Medical Necessity 2013: Reduce Risk and Overturn Denials
Facing a lengthy appeals process justifying medical necessity? Our experts show you how to avoid pitfalls and alleviate...
-
Level of Care Determinations for 2014: Las Vegas, NV
Attend the half-day seminar, Outpatient, Observation or Inpatient? Continuing to Walk the Tightrope of Regulatory Guidance...
-
OPPS and IPPS Reimbursement Fundamentals: Las Vegas, NV
Attend OPPS and IPPS Reimbursement Fundamentals, a half-day seminar on October 2nd in Las Vegas. Learn how CMS’ substantial...
Most Popular
- Articles
-
- Practice the six rights of medication administration
- Note similarities and differences between HCPCS, CPT® codes
- Code diagnoses and outpatient treatment for PTSD
- Don't forget the three checks in medication administration
- 7-Part EMS screening tool boosts early sepsis treatment
- What to include on the incident report
- Differentiate between types of wound debridement
- Q&A: Primary, principal, and secondary diagnoses
- Unauthorized video surveillance may lead to HIPAA violation
- OB services: Coding inside and outside of the package
- E-mailed
-
- 7-Part EMS screening tool boosts early sepsis treatment
- Practice the six rights of medication administration
- Correctly bill ancillary bedside procedures in addition to the room rate
- Unauthorized video surveillance may lead to HIPAA violation
- Use case studies to explore observation services
- Nurse practitioners in Tennessee push for less oversight
- Neurological checks for head injuries
- Joint Commission details how to comply with fire safety requirements
- HIM, CDI programs require 'TEAM' effort
- Differentiate between types of wound debridement
- Searched
