Home Health & Hospice Week

Post-Acute Care:

More Hospital DRGs Subject To Post-Acute Transfer Proration

 

Hospitals now will have 29 rather than 10 diagnosis related groups that Medicare will pay them less for if they discharge to home care.

In its Aug. 1 final 2004 inpatient payment rule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services deletes two DRGs from the old list of 10 affected codes and adds 21 new ones.

Under the post-acute transfer policies, certain discharges to post-acute settings, including home care, qualify as a "transfer" for payment purposes rather than a discharge. The net result is that hospitals get a per diem rate for the care rather than the full DRG payment.

That means hospitals may be more reluctant to discharge patients with the affected diagnoses to home care. Post-acute transfer rules will apply to the following DRGs starting Oct. 1, 2003:

  • 12    Degenerative Nervous System Disorders

  • 14    Intracranial Hemorrhage and Stroke With Infarction

  • 24    Seizure and Headache Age >17 With CC

  • 25    Seizure and Headache Age >17 Without CC

  • 88    Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

  • 89    Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy Age > 17 With CC

  • 90    Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy Age > 17 Without CC

  • 113   Amputation for Circulatory System Disorders Except Upper Limb and Toe

  • 121   Circulatory Disorders With AMI and Major Complication, Discharged Alive

  • 122   Circulatory Disorders With AMI and Without Major Complication, Discharged Alive

  • 127   Heart Failure and Shock

  • 130   Peripheral Vascular Disorders With CC

  • 131   Peripheral Vascular Disorders Without CC

  • 209   Major Joint and Limb Reattachment Procedures of Lower Extremity

  • 210   Hip and Femur Procedures Except Major Joint Age >17 With CC

  • 211   Hip and Femur Procedures Except Major Joint Age >17 Without CC

  • 236   Fractures of Hip and Pelvis

  • 239   Pathological Fractures and Musculoskeletal and Connective Tissue Malignancy

  • 277   Cellulitis Age >17 With CC

  • 278   Cellulitis Age >17 Without CC

  • 294   Diabetes Age >35

  • 296   Nutritional and Miscellaneous Metabolic Disorders Age >17 With CC

  • 297   Nutritional and Miscellaneous Metabolic Disorders Age >17 Without CC

  • 320   Kidney and Urinary Tract Infectious Age >17 With CC

  • 321   Kidney and Urinary Tract Infectious Age >17 Without CC

  • 395   Red Blood Cell Disorders Age >17

  • 429   Organic Disturbances and Mental Retardation

  • 468   Extensive O.R. Procedure Unrelated to Principal Diagnosis

  • 483   Tracheotomy With Mechanical Ventilation 96+ Hours or Principal Diagnosis Except Face, Mouth and Neck Diagnoses

    Editor's Note: The rule is at www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/a030801c.html.