Critical Access Hospital Swing Bed Billing Guide

Unique Identifying Provider Number Ranges

3rd - 6th digits:

  • Z300-Z399

Bill Type

  • 181 - Admit to discharge
  • 182 - 1st sequential
  • 183 - Continue sequential
  • 187 - Adjustment
  • 188 - Cancel
  • 180 - No payment (Demand bill or skilled coverage criteria not met)

Skilled level of care in approved CAH hospital certified swing-bed. Subject to hospital bundling requirements. Nonprofessional services and applicable Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) service must be included on CAH's swing-bed bill.

A swing bed is not considered hospital level care. It is defined in the payment regulations as SNF level care and is reimbursed at a lesser amount.

Must have a discharge summary following acute care services. When discharged from the swing bed a discharge summary of skilled nursing level services is required.

Skilled nursing level services are paid at 101% of reasonable cost.

  • Monthly or upon discharge/transfer, death or drop below skilled level of care
  • If beneficiary admitted on last day of month or discharged first day of next monthly combine both month's claims
  • Bill continuous stay or admission must be submitted in same sequence in which services are furnished

Annual Benefits

  • All days should be billed a covered/coinsurance, unless days would be for Leave of Absence (LOA)
    • All charges billed as covered except LOA
  • LOA days are billed non-covered
    • Bill charges as $0
  • Demand bill and No-Pay Claim days all charges are billed non-covered

Swing Bed Days - Cost Reporting

In accordance with PRM-II, 3605.1 M+C (Medicare + Choice, Medicare Advantage, Medicare HMO) swing bed days should be excluded from Worksheet S-3, Part I, Line 3, Column 4 and only reported on Worksheet S-3, Part I, Line 3, Column 6.

Only Medicare fee-for-service swing bed days should be reported on Worksheet S-3, Part I, Line 3, Column 4.

Not an all-inclusive list

  • Bed and board
  • Leave of absence
  • CRNA services
  • Nursing services
  • Rehabilitation services
  • Medical social services
  • Laboratory services
  • Drugs and biologicals
  • Supplies
  • Diagnostic or therapeutic items/services
  • Services ordinarily furnished to inpatients either by the hospital or under arrangement

Payer codes if applicable

  • 04 - Information Only Medicare Advantage (MA) plan days beneficiary Change Request
  • 20 - Beneficiary requested billing (provider understands services are not covered)
  • 21 - Denial notice requested
  • 40 - Same day transfer
  • 55 - SNF bed not available
  • 56 - Medical Appropriateness
  • 57 - SNF Readmission
  • 58 - Terminated Medicare Advantage Enrollee

Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Expedited Review as applicable:

  • C1 - Approved as billed
  • C3 - Partial approval
  • C4 - Admission denied
  • C5 - Post-payment review
  • C6 - Admission preauthorization
  • C7 - Extended authorization

Interrupted Stays/LOA

Three-day interrupted stay policy is defined as "a greater than 3-day interruption of stay". When the hospital discharges and beneficiary returns by midnight on the third consecutive day; bill days in non-covered, use 74 occurrence span code and date.

First claim usually partial benefits exhaust claim then next month total benefits exhaust.

  • Condition Code D9 - use when adjusting to reject as benefits exhaust
    • Add remarks for adjustment
  • Occurrence code 22 and date
    • Date active care ended, and beneficiary drops below skilled level of care
  • Billing all the days under the value codes and revenue code in covered
  • Value Code 09 - Co-Insurance = with $1.00

Payer codes if applicable

  • 21-Date Utilization Review (UR) or QIO notice is received
  • 22-Date Active Care Ended
  • Covered level of care ended, this date would equal the through date on the claim, all days after would be billed as non-covered (No-pay/Demand bill)

Three-day hospital stays required on claims for coverage and Medicare payment

  • 70-Qualifying stay dates
    • At least three hospital stay dates; time spent in observation status or emergency room prior to inpatient hospital admission does not count toward three-day dates
    • Add remarks when claim does not have a qualifying stay

Payer codes if applicable

Value Codes

Codes and related dollar amount that are necessity to process claims

Medicare pays Part B inpatient services when beneficiary is not entitled to benefits under Part A, benefits exhaust, or stay not medically necessary

  • Submit 12X type of bill and use hospital provider number
    • Review the revenue codes that are not allowed prior to billing
  • Follow the requirement of the agreement with the plan
  • Medicare beneficiary enrolled or disenrolled from plan during billing period, split the bill
  • Voluntary disenroll from risk MA and converts to fee-for-service Medicare
    • Must meet all Medicare requirements including three-day inpatient hospital stay
  • Voluntary disenroll from risk MA plan while receiving skilled services in CAH swing bed
    • Three-day is waived if beneficiary meets level of care
    • Submit claim with 58 condition code (Terminated Medicare Advantage Enrollee)

Beneficiary Coinsurance

Beneficiary Deductible

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