Waiving 3-day hospital requirement benefits patients, Medicare Advantage plans

(Source – www.healio.com)

A recent study showed that waiving Medicare’s typical 3-day hospital stay requirement before becoming eligible for skilled nursing care would reduce hospital stays without increasing admissions or the duration of receiving skilled nursing services. “This policy dates back to the mid-1960s, when the average length of a hospital stay was 2 weeks,” Amal N. Trivedi, MD, MPH, associate professor of health services, policy and practice at Brown University, said in a press release. “Requiring patients to stay in the hospital for 3 days before they can be transferred to a skilled nursing facility may unnecessarily lengthen hospital stays, leading to more spending, but also subject patients to unnecessary complications arising from hospital care.” Read more…

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