Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) - JE Part A

Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF)

A Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) is a facility that:
- Is primarily engaged in providing to residents skilled nursing care and related services for residents who require medical or nursing care; or
- Is primarily engaged in providing to residents skilled rehabilitation services for the injured, disabled, or sick persons and is not primarily for the care and treatment of mental diseases
- Has in effect a transfer agreement (meeting the requirements of §1861(1) of the Social Security Act with one or more hospitals having agreements in effect under §1866 of the Social Security Act); and
- Meets the requirements for a skilled nursing facility described in subsections (b), (c), and (d) of §1819 of the Social Security Act
There is only 1 PTAN and one practice location per SNF
SNFs are normally attached to hospital

For more information regarding billing, go to the billing portion of the website.

Application	Tips
PECOS application	"Institutional Provider" (e.g., Hospital, Skilled Nursing Facility, Hospice, Home Health Agency) Complete questionnaire to ensure correct applications (CMS-855A and CMS 588-EFT) populate.
CMS-855A	Complete all form sections Include all supporting documentation such as the IRS documents and transfer agreement List all directors, board members, and contracted or W-2 managing employee Visit the Application Fee webpage to access CMS link to pay application fee
CMS-588 EFT	Submit completed CMS-588 EFT and voided check/bank letter. EIN required to be on application in Tax Identification Number (TIN) field

Must have the following attachments on Initials, Reactivations or Revalidations, and changes in section 5 and/or 6
- Diagram/flowchart identifying the organizational structures of all its owners, including those that were not required to be listed in section 5 or 6
  - Must be submitted in addition to the diagram/flowchart for Section 5 Entities
- Include a transfer agreement
SNF can be a separate institution or a "distinct part" – meaning an area or portion of an institution that is certified to furnish SNF services
- Each will receive their own PTAN
- A hospital may have only 1 SNF "distinct part"
- "Distinct part" designation is not equivalent to being "provider-based"

Approved by CMS to furnish post-hospital skilled nursing facility (SNF) services
Hospital or CAH patients' beds can "swing" from furnishing hospital services to providing SNF care without the patient necessarily being moved to another part of the building
As stated in 42 CFR §482.66, to obtain swing-bed status the hospital must
- Have a Medicare provider agreement
- Be in a rural area
- Have fewer than 100 non-newborn or intensive care beds
Submit 855A change application to add the swing bed unit as a practice location via paper
Submit 855A initial application to add the swing bed unit as a practice location via PECOS
Will be given an additional PTAN to bill for swing-bed services (the third digit of the PTAN will be the letter U, W, Y, or Z)

Note: Swing Bed Providers do not need to submit any documentation to Medicare if they want to add beds to their unit.

Once Noridian has completed review of the application, a Recommendation for Approval letter is sent to the State. Below are the time frames in which Noridian has to review the application.

Application Type	Processing Time
PECOS	On average, it can take 45 calendar days before application is sent to the state and CMS for approval
Paper	On average, it can take 60 calendar days before application is sent to the state and CMS for approval

After receiving the tie-in notice, Noridian will have the following time frames to complete the application.
- If a site visit is needed, Noridian will have 45 days to complete the application
- If a site visit is not needed, Noridian will have 21 days to complete the application

Last Updated Wed, 05 Jan 2022 16:08:58 +0000