Article Detail - JE Part A
Clarification for Interdisciplinary Team Meetings (IDT) for Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) Services
CMS will permit IDT meetings to be completed by Day 8 of a patient's stay in certain circumstances. If a patient is admitted to an IRF on the day their interdisciplinary team meetings are scheduled, CMS expects all patients in the IRF to be discussed during that meeting. However, if a patient is admitted after the interdisciplinary meeting has taken place on that day, it is acceptable for the patient to be discussed for the first time at the following week's interdisciplinary meeting, which would be on Day 8 of their stay.
For example, if the IRF’s weekly IDT meeting takes place every Wednesday at 2:00 PM, and a patient is admitted on Wednesday at 5:00 PM (after the regular meeting), their first IDT meeting could be held on the following Wednesday at 2:00 PM. This meeting would technically occur on the eighth day of the patient’s stay in the IRF.
IRF providers must document in the medical record the specific rationale for conducting an IDT meeting on Day 8. Under no circumstances may a patient's first IDT review occur after Day 8 of their stay. CMS will notify the MACs of any policy updates regarding the weekly timeframe requirement when they occur.
