Medicare and Medicaid programs; rural hospitals: provision of long-term care services (swing-bed provision); flexibility in application of standards--Health Care Financing Administration. Interim final rule with comment period.
These regulations implement sections 904 and 949 of Pub. L. 96-499, the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1980. Under section 904 (the swing-bed provision), certain small, rural hospitals may use their inpatient facilities to furnish skilled nursing facility (SNF) services to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and intermediate care facility (ICF) services to Medicaid beneficiaries. These hospitals will be reimbursed at rates appropriate for those services, which are generally lower than hospital rates. This statutory provision is intended to encourage the most efficient and effective use of inpatient hospital beds for delivery of either hospital or SNF and ICF services. Under section 949, rural hospitals of 50 or fewer beds may be exempted from certain personnel standards in the conditions of participation for hospitals. This exemption applies only to the extent that it does not jeopardize or adversely affect the health and safety of patients.
D001508:Bed Conversion / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014487:Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S.; D005161:Facility Regulation and Control; D006275:Health Facility Planning / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006743:Hospital Bed Capacity, under 100; D008484:Medicaid / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006278:Medicare / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D012423:Rural Health; D014481:United States