HI 00601.070 Inpatient Day Defined

The number of days of care charged to a beneficiary for inpatient hospital services is always in units of full days. A day begins at midnight and ends 24 hours later. The midnight-to-midnight method is used in reporting days of care for beneficiaries, even if the hospital uses a different definition of day for statistical or other purposes.

A part of a day, including the day of discharge or death, or a day on which a patient begins a leave of absence, is not counted as a day. (Charges for ancillary services on the day of discharge are covered under the reimbursement formula.) if admission and discharge or death occur on the same day, the day is considered a day of admission and counts as one inpatient day.


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http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0600601070
HI 00601.070 - Inpatient Day Defined - 09/15/1989
Batch run: 09/15/1989
Rev:09/15/1989