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Important Message from Medicare Notice: Inpatient transfers

Patient Financial Services Weekly Advisor, August 2, 2007

Q: Two hospitals have different Medicare ID (provider) numbers. Patients are transferred from one facility to the other for other inpatient care. Sometimes, patients are returned to the initiating facility, while other times they remain at the second facility to later be discharged or moved to a lower level of care. Does the sending hospital need to issue a follow-up copy of the Important Message from Medicare (IM)? Does the receiving facility need to issue a new IM?

A: Regardless of the hospital affiliation, the receiving hospital/unit would provide a new IM if the transfer involves different Medicare ID (provider) numbers. However, no follow-up copy is needed prior to leaving the sending hospital/unit if the transfer is an inpatient to inpatient hospital level of care. The hospital/unit ultimately responsible for discharging (releasing or lowering the level of care) the patient would provide the follow-up copy if more than 2 days have passed since the last IM was delivered.

Whenever the sending and receiving unit has the same provider number, no follow-up copy and no new IM is required. Hospitals would operate as if it is continual inpatient care from the same facility.

This answer was provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services from their frequently asked questions resource. For more frequently asked questions and answers from CMS on the Important Message from Medicare, click here.

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