As a result of the declaration of a national emergency, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has waived the requirement that Medicare beneficiaries must spend at least three days in a hospital before qualifying for coverage in a skilled nursing facility (SNF) for those beneficiaries who need to be transferred as a result of a disaster or emergency.

In addition, CMS states that “for certain beneficiaries who recently exhausted their SNF benefits,” SNF coverage will be renewed without first having to start a new benefit period.

CMS’s “COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Health Care Providers Fact Sheet,” can be accessed here –

Download (PDF, 430KB)

CMS guidance in response to COVID-19 is posted on the Current Emergency page. 

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