Question

In order to have Medicare A cover a SNF stay, the patient must have a minimum of how many days of medically necessary hospitalization?

a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4

Answer 1

Medicare Part A coverage for a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) stay requires a minimum of three days of medically necessary hospitalization.

Step-by-step explanation:

To have Medicare Part A cover a stay in a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF), the patient must have a minimum of three days of medically necessary hospitalization. This requirement means the patient must be hospitalized for at least three consecutive days, not counting the discharge day, before they are transferred to a SNF for it to be covered by Medicare Part A. In addition to the hospital stay, the SNF services must also be for a condition treated during the hospital stay or a condition that arose while in the SNF for treatment of a condition for which the patient was previously hospitalized.