The document outlines essential billing guidelines for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), emphasizing the importance of understanding insurance coverage, particularly Medicare parts A and B, for resident care. It details the billing cycle, types of care provided, and underscores the necessity of accurate billing procedures to avoid penalties. Additionally, it recommends outsourcing billing services to improve financial health and compliance with evolving standards.

1. HTTPS://WWW.247MEDICALBILLINGSERVICES.COM/
Know The Secrets Of SNF Billing Guidelines
slideplayer.com
slideplayer.com

2. Skilled nursing homes provide long-term care through support with everyday activities, rehabilitation,
and medication and treatment administration. Families of elders considering placing their loved ones in
skilled nursing or assisted living must first grasp nursing home billing and coding guidelines in order to
determine what type of care they will require and who will pay for it. Some of the secrets of SNF billing
and coding guidelines are as follows:
Billing Cycle
Nursing homes are billed on a monthly basis. Skilled nursing facilities should use Form CMS-1450 when
paying for Medicaid Part A. These monthly claims must be submitted on time following a resident’s:
• Discharge
• Drop from skilled care in an SNF
• Exhaustion of their benefit period
Read Full Blog : https://www.247medicalbillingservices.com/blog/know-the-
secrets-of-snf-billing-guidelines/
HTTPS://WWW.247MEDICALBILLINGSERVICES.COM/
Know The Secrets Of SNF Billing Guidelines

3. HTTPS://WWW.247MEDICALBILLINGSERVICES.COM/
When a patient’s or resident’s benefits are exhausted, the claims processing system must appropriately
monitor the benefit duration in accordance with CMS rules. The skilled nursing facility billing cycle
and the time range for all billing services delivered to the resident should be as detailed as possible.
If a resident’s stay began after the month’s first, they would usually be charged per day for room and
board multiplied by the number of days since the patient’s admission.
Level of Care Provided
Long-term care facilities give varying levels of care to their residents. Independent living facilities do not
provide the same degree of CARE as assisted living facilities. In the meanwhile, an assisted living
facility will not offer the same degree of care as a memory care centre.
Facilities charge based on the services and amount of care given. The amount of care offered in a facility
can have an impact on how much money it receives. This is because a facility with a high volume of
weighted DRGs can receive higher reimbursements. To calculate the payment for a particular case, a
unique formula is employed, which involves multiplying the payment rate per case of a specific
facility by the assigned DRG’s weight.
Know The Secrets Of SNF Billing Guidelines

4. Type of Insurance Accepted
If a senior qualifies for Medicare Part A, Medicare will cover the entire cost of their stay in a skilled
nursing facility (SNF) for up to 20 days. From day 21 to day 100, a variable daily coinsurance rate
takes effect, with Medicare continuing to cover a portion of the stay. Staff should continue to submit
monthly claims for non-covered services delivered to the resident after the benefits period has
expired. This ensures that the claims system can track the benefit period appropriately. Medicare
Part A covers the following services:
• Temporary inpatient care, whether it be in a hospital setting or a skilled nursing facility.
• Hospice care services
• Home health care services
HTTPS://WWW.247MEDICALBILLINGSERVICES.COM/
Know The Secrets Of SNF Billing Guidelines

5. From day 101 onwards, the resident is responsible for the entire expense of care. Meanwhile, long-term
care facilities are frequently reimbursed for therapy treatments provided through Medicare Part B, which
becomes effective on day 21. Examples of Medicare Part B services include:
• Ambulance services
• Clinical research
• Mental health (Inpatient, Outpatient, Partial hospitalization)
• Durable medical equipment (DME)
• Limited outpatient prescription drugs
Medicare Part B is very important for long-term care SNF facilities since it covers occupational therapy,
physical therapy, and speech-language pathology.
HTTPS://WWW.247MEDICALBILLINGSERVICES.COM/
Know The Secrets Of SNF Billing Guidelines

6. Know The Secrets Of SNF Billing Guidelines
Leave of Absence
If a resident decides to leave a nursing home temporarily, they or a family member can sign a bed hold
waiver to reserve their room until they return. It should be noted that skilled nursing facility billing will
continue even if the resident is not there, albeit the charges may be lower than if the resident was
present.
Billing Tips
To avoid penalties, skilled nursing facility administrators and accounting personnel must ensure that
their SNF billing procedure is accurate. The HHS provides billing advice for long-term care SNFs,
including the following items to keep in mind:
HTTPS://WWW.247MEDICALBILLINGSERVICES.COM/

7. • The dates of discharge, death, or the start of a Leave of Absence (LOA) for a patient or resident are not
counted as utilization days.
• Medicare does not consider a discharge if a Medicare beneficiary is discharged and returns before
midnight the same day.
• The HIPPS rate number appearing on a claim must correspond to the assessment sent to and accepted
by the state where the long-term care facility is located.
Outsourcing – Old but All-Time Best Solution!
Maximizing and improving the skilled nursing facility billing process will help nursing homes earn more
money. When nursing facilities administrators understand their SNF billing guidelines and implement
them accurately, they ensure their facilities can maximize reimbursements for the services they provide.
Know The Secrets Of SNF Billing Guidelines
HTTPS://WWW.247MEDICALBILLINGSERVICES.COM/

8. This process can be complicated and time-consuming, necessitating knowledge of SNF billing
rules and regulations, insurance policies, and payment procedures. These issues can be alleviated
by outsourcing SNF billing services to 24/7 Medical Billing Services. It also allows nursing
facilities to stay in compliance with constantly changing standards, freeing up staff to focus on
patient care. Skilled nursing facilities should seriously consider outsourcing as a feasible
alternative for enhancing their billing processes and overall financial health.
See also: Unlocking The Secrets To Successful Prior Authorization For SNF
Know The Secrets Of SNF Billing Guidelines
HTTPS://WWW.247MEDICALBILLINGSERVICES.COM/

9. About 24/7 Medical Billing Services:
We are a medical billing company that offers ‘24/7 Medical Billing Services’
and support physicians, hospitals, medical institutions and group practices
with our end to end medical billing solutions. We help you earn more
revenue with our quick and affordable services. Our customized Revenue
Cycle Management (RCM) solutions allow physicians to attract additional
revenue and reduce administrative burden or losses.
Contact:
24/7 Medical Billing Services
Tel: +1 888–502–0537
Email: info@247medicalbillingservices.com
HTTPS://WWW.247MEDICALBILLINGSERVICES.COM/
About 24/7 Medical Billing Services