Question

The days of care reimbursed by Medicare at an inpatient rate (either general inpatient or respite) ______.

a. Do not count toward the hospice aggregate cap
b. Are doubled for billing purposes
c. Count as two days for billing purposes
d. Are excluded from the Medicare coverage

Answer 1

The days of care reimbursed by Medicare at an inpatient rate (either general inpatient or respite) count as two days for billing purposes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The days of care reimbursed by Medicare at an inpatient rate (either general inpatient or respite) count as two days for billing purposes.

When Medicare reimburses for inpatient care at a hospital or skilled nursing facility, the number of days is calculated based on calendar days, not actual time spent. So, even if a patient is admitted and discharged on the same day, it will still count as two days for billing purposes.

It is important to note that these days do count towards the hospice aggregate cap, which is the limit on the total amount of reimbursement a hospice provider can receive from Medicare in a given year.