title: Is the two-midnight rule much ado about nothing?
abstract: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has declared that stays that span two midnights should be presumed to be inpatient stays, but case managers still need to make sure patients meet inpatient criteria and that the documentation is complete. Physicians must certify medical necessity, sign, date, and time the admission, and include a treatment plan and the anticipated length of stay. Physician documentation must be accurate, detailed and give a complete picture of what's going on with the patient or hospitals could face significant payment implications. Medicare auditors still will be scrutinizing the records and are likely to continue to target one-day stays and two-day stays for medical necessity.
mesh_terms: D019090:Case Management / Q000191:economics* / Q000592:standards; D014487:Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. / Q000191:economics* / Q000592:standards; D005375:Financial Audit / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D005377:Financial Management, Hospital / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics*; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000191:economics* / Q000592:standards; D010819:Physician's Role; D012051:Reimbursement Mechanisms / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D014481:United States